Survival Camp
by Elfprinzess
Summary: Gohan and his class go on camp into the wilderness and Gohan has to try and hide his secrets. Most visible: His Tail! AU Story. I now there are a lot of these stories, but i wanted to try one of my own. Reviews, positive or negative, are welcome -COMPLETE
1. Camping is Fun Fun Fun!

**Author's Note: OK, This is my first Dragon Ball Z fic, and I am really sorry if I don't keep the characters acting like themselves. **

**Sorry for any details I get wrong, I will try to catch them but if they are wrong, then please forgive me. Also, this story is AU. A few things are different. Here's a rough outline of what's changed:**

**First off, Gohan kept his tail, it grew back after Cell. However, Goten and Trunks don't have tails.**

**Secondly, There is no Saiyaman (sorry to those who wanted him in this fic) instead, Gohan fights crime as 'The Golden Fighter' with a watch that changes him into a costume that is made up of a black vest that he wears without a top on underneath (So you can see his chest), and white baggy pants with black shoes that are similar in style to converse shoes. He wears a black simple mask that covers the top half of his face and his tail is wrapped around his waist like a belt all the time.**

**Gohan started school and has been going for 2 weeks now. He was kind of friends with Videl, Erasa and Sharpener, hanging out with them but Videl still hounded him for answers to all her questions.**

**I do not own Dragonball Z, any of the characters or any products/songs/companies that I may mention in the following stories. I don't own anything. *Pout***

**The following story is a story where Gohan and his class go on camp into the wilderness and Gohan has to try and hide his secrets. Most visible: His Tail!**

**I know a lot of these stories have been done, but I wanted to write one and try my best so please read and review, any comments (positive or negative) are welcome.**

"**Talking"**

_**'thinking'**_

********* - change of scenes**

**Chapter 1 – Camping is fun fun fun!**

Gohan stared down at his notebook that had a picture that he had been busy sketching while his Maths teacher droned on and on about work he had learnt on the way to Namek when he was 7.

the picture was of Goten flying on Icarus over the view that Gohan had memorized since he was a boy. The view was what he could see from out his window that he stared out whenever he was meant to be studying.

"Gohan, listen up!" Erasa hissed, noticing the tall, black spiky haired teen was tuning out the class. "The teach just said we have a surprise."

Gohan blinked and looked up at the teacher to find he was searching his desk for papers. "Thanks Erasa." Gohan whispered back, thanking the bubbly blonde for the warning. The young girl winked at Gohan and Gohan glanced at Videl, who had spent the entire lesson glaring at him. He had felt and sensed her glare the whole time. Videl was watching the teacher with a mix of emotions on her face. Anticipation at the news, but also wariness at the fact they had no idea what the surprise was. Sharpener was feigning indifference, while obviously listening with apt attention.

"This class has been picked to go on a wilderness camp. Instructors will take you all in a course on how to survive in the forest, then you will be placed in groups and spend some time alone, surviving and relying on yourselves. These are the permission forms. Get them signed and brought back by tomorrow. If not you don't go. The camp is on Friday, and you will all come back in 13 days time. With the permission note is a list of things you will need to bring. Anything you bring, you will have to carry it, so be careful with the amount of things you pack." the teacher informed the now excited teenagers as he handed the notes out to all the students.

"Oh my god!" Erasa squealed. "This is going to be so exciting."

"Camping out will be a lot of fun." Videl said out loud. She then thought _'And it may give me a chance to get to the bottom of Gohan!'_.

"Gohan, are you excited?" Erasa asked, her excitement lighting up her face.

"What, oh, ahh, yeah. I suppose so!" Gohan stuttered, raising a hand to his head and rubbing the back of his head in his normal actions.

"Oh come off it Erasa. Nerd-boy is probably scared at the fact he will have to do physical work." Sharpener laughed. Over the top of the girls' heads, Sharpener winked at Gohan. They had come to an understanding. Sharpener teased Gohan all the time, yet he didn't mean anything insulting by the name calling and teasing. It was all just how the other teenage boy interacted.

"Yeah, probably." Videl snorted.

Gohan gave a nervous chuckle, and tucked his permission note and packing list into his bag. _'How am I meant to keep my super powers hidden at a two week camp? How am I meant to keep my TAIL hidden at a two week camp?' _ He silently thought to himself, panicking slightly at the upcoming event.

"BIG BROTHER!" Goten yelled, the moment he heard his older brother arrive home from school. It was nearly dinner time, as Gohan had visited Bulma after school to visit Trunks and talk with Bulma about an idea he had. Goten raced out and threw himself at Gohan's chest. Gohan managed to catch the little orange blur and hugged him before grabbing him by the ankle and yanking him away from the teen's body. Within moments the youngest Son was dangling upside by the ankle. "Gohan, no fair, your arms are longer! Put me down!" he whined.

"No can do Squirt." Gohan chuckled. Carrying Goten into the house, he called a greeting to his mother. "Hi Mum! I'm home!"

"Gohan, how was your day?" Chi-Chi asked, giving her eldest son a hug around her youngest son who was beginning to turn red.

"Mu-um! Make Gohan put me down!" the young demi-saiyan asked, unable to keep quiet any longer.

"Say the magic word!" Gohan said in a sing-song voice.

"Please! With a cherry on top!" Goten asked, pulling the infamous Son puppy dog eyes on his older brother.

"Since you asked so nicely." Gohan said, grabbing the 7 year old by the arm and letting go of his ankle. Goten swung round to be the right way up and Gohan placed him gently on the floor.

"Anything interesting happen today at school?" Goten asked eagerly. "Any bad guys that you stopped?"

"No, there was no bad guys today." Gohan told his brother, much to Goten's disappointment.

Chi-Chi who sensed Gohan had something important to say, told Goten, "Goten, go play outside for a while, Gohan will be out later."

"OK mum." Goten said, smiling brightly and zooming outside.

Gohan smiled at the young boy's innocent happiness. Gohan sighed and then started to explain the upcoming camp to his mother. "There's a camp that my class is going on. It is into the wilderness and to learn how to survive. It's for 13 days."

"Camp? Will it interfere with your studies?" Chi-Chi asked, immediately worrying.

"No, it is worth a percentage of our final grade."

"Then you're going. You just will have to hide your strength, and tail." Chi-Chi said in a matter-of-fact voice, gesturing to his tail that was twitching and waving back and forth.

"OK." Gohan sighed.

Chi-Chi placed a hand on her son's shoulder and smiled at him. "From what you've told me about these friends of yours, I am fairly confident that if you explain to them your past, they will understand and help you hide your secrets."

"I can't do that mum. What if they avoid me and reject me? They're my only friends at school." Gohan protested.

"It's up to you son. Just do what you think is best." Chi-Chi told him.

Just then, the phone rang, interrupting their conversation as Goten came racing in, yelling at the top of his voice, "I'll get it! I'll get it!"

Chi-Chi shook her head and smiled as Gohan chuckled at the young boy who was a spitting image of Goku.

Goten calmed down to answer the phone and picked it up, "Hello?" he asked, trying to be confident, but all that came out was a shy little kid's voice that would've made everyone who heard it go awwww at his cuteness. He scuffed his foot along the floor of the house, listening to whoever it was on the other end of the line before saying, "Yeah, he's here. That's my big brother. He's super strong and the coolest. Do you wanna speak to him?" there was a pause as the small boy listened to the speaker before holding the phone out to Gohan and saying, "A lady is asking for you. She said her name is Videl."

Videl, when she got home from school got her father to sign the permission note and asked if she could have her friends over after the camp. She knew that they would have to write a report on the camp that would count for more than half the mark for the whole survival camp, which was 30% of their end of year mark. She figured that between Erasa, Sharpener, Gohan and herself, they could come up with a pretty good report on their experience that they would go through.

"Yeah sure thing Sweet Pea. Just no boys in your room!" Hercule said distractedly. He was in the middle of watching an old match of his against some else.

"Thanks Dad." Videl said, kissing her old man on the cheek and walking to her room.

After ringing Erasa, and Sharpener and getting their response on the sleep over (both said yes) she realised that she didn't have Gohan's mobile number. Frowning, Videl called the police station and requested the new friend's number.

"Thanks Chief." Videl said, before hanging up. Calling the number that she had hastily written down as the police chief read it out to her, she crossed her fingers as the phone rang a few times, hoping she had the right number.

"Hello?" A little boy asked, his voice soft and shy.

Videl smiled at the young voice and asked in a kind voice, "Hi, I am calling to talk to Gohan Son. Is he there?"

"Yeah, he's here. That's my big brother. He's super strong and the coolest." the young boy spoke quickly. Videl smiled at the obvious admiration the little boy had for Gohan and could just picture a miniature Gohan, grinning up at teenage Gohan who ruffled the young boy's hair. "Do you wanna speak to him?" the young boy asked.

"Yes please. Tell him it's Videl, from school." Videl said, in her kind voice still.

There was a pause before Videl heard the boy say quieter than before, making Videl guess he had held the phone out to his brother "A lady is asking for you. She said her name is Videl."

"Thanks Squirt." Videl heard Gohan say before speaking into the phone to Videl, "Hi Videl! What do you want?"

"Hey Gohan, just wanted to call to ask you something. I hope you don't mind, I asked the police to find your phone number for me. Sorry." Videl apologized sheepishly.

"That's OK, I've been meaning to give it to you, Erasa and Sharpener." Gohan said in his cheerful voice.

"Oh, OK. I was just wondering if after camp, you wanted to come over and stay at my place over night? Erasa and Sharpener are as well. You know we need to write a report about the camp afterwards, and I figured since we will most likely be in a group together the whole camp, we might as well work on the report together, making it easier."

"Hang on, let me ask my mum." Gohan said. He pulled the phone away from his ear and covered it so Videl couldn't hear him talk to his mother. He felt quite happy that he had been included in the trio's plans, excited he was beginning to be included. "Mum, is it OK that if after the camp I stay at Videl's place with her, Sharpener and Erasa for the night? We have a report to do on the camp and they want to do it together."

"Of course Gohan." Chi-Chi said, happy her son was finally beginning to have friends his own age, two of which being girls (friends that were girls meant grandchildren in Chi-Chi's mind).

"Thanks mum." Gohan said, before lifting the phone back up to his ear and telling Videl, "That would be great. I'm allowed." Gohan told the other teenager.

"Awesome." Videl said, before trying to think of what else to say so it didn't get awkward.

"So I'll see you tomorrow at school? I have to go, my little brother is begging me to go play with him." Gohan said, saving her from talking about the weather (it was all she came up with on the spot)

"Right, he sounds really cute and adorable." Videl laughed.

"He is. But he's also a nuisance sometimes. Especially when he meets up with his friend and they play pranks on me." Gohan chuckled.

Videl laughed before saying her goodbyes and hanging up.

_'Now, all I have to do is pack for the camp and get through school tomorrow before going on the camp. This is a perfect opportunity to try and get Gohan to spill the beans and tell me about himself and his family.'_

**To Be Continued**


	2. 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall

**Author's Note: The location of the camp is made up and is probably wrong in some way so please ignore that. Thank you.**

**This chapter is a little on the short side. Sorry about it, the next ones will get longer I promise.**

**Please read and review.**

**Chapter 2 – 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall**

Erasa didn't bother to hide her yawn as she rubbed her eyes and complained about the insanely early hour they were meeting. Erasa, Videl and Sharpener were among the other students who were waiting for the last 5 people to turn up to take the roll, go over the rules and leave on the bus. They were sitting on the school oval. Gohan was (surprise surprise) one of the few that were slightly late.

Just then, a shadow fell over Videl who was sitting on the grass and she looked up to see Gohan smiling sheepishly. He was wearing what looked like a training gi that was dark blue and long sleeved. With a white singlet on underneath, red shoes and a red belt, Gohan looked ready for a hike in the woods, while Erasa, in her skinny jeans and tank top and flats looked like she was going to be uncomfortable soon, and in pain soon after.

"Sorry I'm late. My little brother didn't want to let me leave." he explained, plopping down next to them. Gohan grinned a little in memory of Goten clinging to Gohan's back in a death grip that made Chi-Chi have to bribe the little boy with no food if he didn't let go. That caused the young child to let go and run back to his mother. As Gohan had taken off, Goten had been clinging to his mother's leg, trying to hide his tears at Gohan going away for two weeks.

"That's OK Nerd-Boy. You're not the last one here. And you're only a couple of minutes late." Sharpener commented, just as the announcement from the teacher in charge came across the yard.

"Attention. Could all students gather around to listen to last minute instructions."

Gohan, Videl, Erasa and Sharpener walked together over to the bus where their teacher, Mr. Essen was standing. "OK, listen up." he started. "We're going to get on the bus, drive for a couple of hours to the edge of the mountain range before hiking for two to three hours to a clearing which we will set up camp and stay there for 4 days. Then we will hike for a day to a clearing and spend a night there, before being taken by a jet to random spots where groups of four will be dropped off and you will have to survive for a week in the wilderness by yourselves, in your groups. You will be given a map and compass, and if you ever get lost there will be a transmitter beacon you can turn on that will broadcast your location so we can find you. We will meet back where the jet originally picked you up and walk back to the first campsite. Spending the final night there to recover a bit before walking back to the bus and driving home. Any questions?"

No student put their hand up, it was pretty straight forward.

"OK, good. Now line up. Those of you with bags and luggage, there are several spare capsules for you to use in case you didn't have enough. As you enter the bus, double check you have everything you need and tell your name to Mrs. Channing and then sit on the bus and wait patiently." Mr. Essen informed the teenagers.

After 20 minutes, (because they were teenagers, it seemed people had lost their clothes, didn't give their name to Mrs. Channing or had gone missing for 5 minutes before mysteriously returning.) Mr. Essen was explaining that both him and Mrs. Channing had had survival training and both new first aid. No one was actually paying attention though.

10 more minutes and the bus lurched forward before continuing a lot smoother on its journey. The long 5 hour or so bus ride had begun.

Gohan, being the smart young boy he was knew that Videl was going to question him the whole way to the camp if possible, so as an excuse not to make up lies, Gohan immediately rested his head against the glass window next to him and pretended to fall asleep.

The four of them (Videl, Sharpener, Erasa and Gohan) had sat across the back of the bus on the four seater bench. In order from left to right (when looking at them from the front of the bus) was Gohan, Videl, Erasa and Sharpener.

Videl held back a growl of annoyance when she turned to ask Gohan a question to find him asleep. Erasa, almost sensing her annoyance said in a hushed voice, "Calm down Videl, he had to get up five hours ago to get here in time. Let the boy sleep."

Videl immediately berated herself for not thinking of that. To get to school at 7 am with the rest of them, he would've had to leave his house at 2 in the morning, if not early just in case. She had gotten up at 6 to have a quick jog and light punching session before showering, eating and racing to school in her jet. She muttered a sorry to him, even though he was asleep and didn't hear what she had said.

5 hours later, Gohan woke up and stretched. Giving a big yawn (faking it because he hadn't really fallen asleep) "Are we there yet?" Gohan asked, rubbing his eyes. He had been listening to the trio's conversation for the whole trip, finding it more interesting then meditating. Erasa had roped Videl into a conversation about clothes and shoes before Videl and Sharpener had gotten into a debate over martial arts and boxing. There were many other random conversations, like when Sharpener had seen a cow and cried, 'Look it's a moo! I mean, a cow!" everyone had laughed out loud and even Gohan had found it funny.

"We're have about 30 minutes left of the ride." Videl informed him. "Lucky you, I don't see how you slept through all this noise." she scowled. 2 hours into the trip she had tried to sleep on Erasa's shoulder, failing as the bus full of teenagers had grown and someone had started group sing-a-longs. At the moment, the whole bus (minus Videl, Sharpener, Erasa and Gohan (and the teachers)) was singing '99 bottles of bear on the wall'. "I am ready to kill whoever invented this song. It's the third time they've been through it all and gotten to zero." Videl muttered.

Gohan hid a laugh and shrugged in response to Videl's comment. "I guess when you are tired enough, you can sleep through anything."

"I suppose so." Videl echoed.

"Look Videl!" Erasa squealed. "I can see the forest!" the girl squealed again, pointing through the front window to where the whole bus was now looking. There about 20 minutes away was their destination.

**To Be Continued**


	3. WATER FIGHT!

**Author's Note: Thank you all for reviewing! It was awesome to see a lot of hits for this story.**

**Chapter 3 - WATER FIGHT!**

The eager teenagers scrambled off the bus and lined up as directed. Once the bus had pulled up and parked, the teachers and told them to orderly leave the bus and line up with a partner of the same gender to receive their tents and equipment needed.

"Nerd-boy, looks like we're together then." Sharpener said, standing next to the black haired teen.

"Videl! We're going to have sooo much fun!" Erasa squealed, linking her arm through Videl's.

"Listen up guys!" Mr. Essen called. The teenagers fell silent pretty quickly (surprisingly) as all wanted to get the camp under-way. "Each pair needs to get a tent, first aid kit, camping stove and a sleeping bag per person."

Gohan followed Sharpener dutifully as they collected the capsulised equipment and stood back in line.

"In the next couple of days we will be hiking to a camp spot, learning how to track animals, find food, make shelters and cross rivers with hand-made rafts. The day before we hike to individual camp sites will be spent doing a scavenger hunt. The whole time you will be partners with your tent buddy, and a pair of the other gender. Every activity and chore that you have to do will be done in these groups of four."

"Now, we are going to start walking so make sure you have runners on, and are wearing suitable clothing." Mrs. Channing said, giving majority of the girls a pointed glare.

All girls, minus Videl, opened their luggage and pulled out better clothes to hike in, including proper footwear. Each girl wandered off behind trees and came back 5 minutes later.

10 minutes later, all girls were back, changed and ready to go. "Now, I will be leading, and Mr. Essen will be following up at the back. Don't go in front or behind either of us." Mrs. Channing informed them. She started walking, leading the class. Gohan followed behind Videl, Erasa and Sharpener, keeping his head down and walking along at a pace that he thought was at snail speed.

1 hour later, Mrs. Channing called a break and immediately all the kids flopped down wherever they were to the floor. A lot of the girls (including Erasa) were puffing and finding it harder and harder to keep up the pace. Half the boys were struggling as well. Gohan, Videl and Sharpener were some of the people who weren't tired yet, although Videl was confused as to why Gohan wasn't tired.

"Yo Nerd-by, you exhausted yet?" Sharpener asked cockily, expecting the other boy to be struggling after an hour.

"No, not yet." Gohan shrugged.

Sharpener stared at him, shocked. "How aren't you tired yet?" Videl demanded. "I mean, no offence but you don't exactly have the fittest body, I thought you wouldn't be able to keep up for a long time."

"I live in a mountain range. The air is thinner up there so when I walked to go fish, or find food for my family, it is a lot harder than you would be used to. For me, I've been walking much longer distances for my whole life." Gohan explained. "And in harder conditions."

"Oh. I didn't think of that." Videl said, only just realising that the other teen would be used to walking in the forest, and would also know how to survive already.

"All right, let's get started again!" Mrs. Channing said, which led everyone to groan in disappointment.

1 and a half hours, and 3 breaks, later, The hiking group entered a clearing, which showed the signs of someone else camping previously.

"All right, here we are. You have 30 minutes to pick a spot and set up your tents with your partner. After that, you can explore for an hour or so and then we will have dinner. Mr Smith, Miss David, you two and your partners will be on dinner duty tonight. Meet me back here in 75 minutes."

"Nerd-boy. You know how to set the tent up?" Sharpener asked, pulling the tent capsule out of his pocket and holding it out to Gohan.

"Yeah, I've gone camping with my little brother before." Gohan said, flicking the capsule open. The tent base, the fly and the poles all appeared, all bundled up in a box.

"Right," Sharpener said, "Tell me what to do."

"Right. First we need to clear the area of twigs and rocks. You don't want to try to sleep with a rock underneath you. It's extremely painful." Gohan said, gesturing to the large sticks and rocks that littered the floor of where they had picked to put their tents up. The two boys set out on doing that, and soon they had the place clear. "Next, we lay out the tent base and connect the poles together. After that we thread the poles through the base and clip them into place at the corners. Then the fly goes over the top and is pegged down." Gohan explained. The pair did just what Gohan said, with the blonde boy following the other teen and doing what he said.

"Phew, I'm glad that's done." Sharpener said, 10 minutes later. They had rolled out their sleeping bags inside their tent, and placed their bags inside, planning on sorting them out later in the afternoon.

Glancing around, Gohan noticed that they were the first ones to get their tent up. Others were still trying to figure it out, others, like Videl and Erasa, were nearly finished. "Let's go look around. I think there is a lake around here, I heard it when we walked in, and they mentioned raft making." Gohan suggested.

Sharpener agreed and before long, the pair had found a lake that was calm and a bright blue. "We have to go swimming. Now! Let's go get the girls and get changed and come back." Sharpener said, grabbing Gohan's arm and yanking him back towards the camp site.

The boys walked back to their tents, pulled out bathers, go changed one at a time in the tent, and left to go get Videl and Erasa who was relaxing outside their tent. Sharpener had bright red board shorts on. Gohan had light blue shorts with brown stripes running down the sides and a brown belt, and a plain white long-sleeved t-shirt.

"Erasa, come on! We should go explore!" Videl said, trying to pull the other girl up.

"Nu-uh, I am not going anywhere for the next–" Erasa started to say, "Sharpie! Oh my god! Did you find somewhere to go swimming? Let us get changed and we'll all go together!" Erasa shouted, jumping up and dragging Videl inside their tent.

Moments later, the pair emerged. Erasa had a pale pink bikini on, and Videl had a dark blue one-piece, with white shorts on. "Let's go!" Erasa chanted happily.

Sharpener led the way through the forest to the lake where there were already a bunch of people swimming. Sharpener, Erasa and Videl all jumped in with a giant splash. Gohan stood on the edge, hesitantly.

"Come one nerd-boy. We won't laugh at your flimsy muscles." Sharpener yelled from the water.

"Just take your shirt off and jump in!" Videl called out as well, annoyed at the boy's fear.

Gohan sighed and pulled his shirt off, chucking it to the side, he then jumped in, and so no one got a good look at his chest, or arms for very long. However, once he had swum up to where his friends were, they could all see the muscles that were very well defined all over his back, chest and arms. They were perfectly chiselled, not huge like a person on steroids, but perfect for someone of Gohan's size. Videl gasped at the sight of Gohan, not at his muscles however, at the number of scars that littered his body.

"Oh come on, he's not that impressive." Sharpener growled, just as surprised at Gohan's fitness.

"Gohan, how did you get all those scars?" Videl demanded, once she recovered.

Gohan nervously chuckled and raised a hand to his hair that, despite being wet, still stuck up everywhere. "I guess just little accidents that come from living in the forest." He said nervously, his eyes shifting side to side, showing his discomfort, and his lie.

"Some of them, yeah I believe you, but what about that big one on your shoulder?" Videl argued back.

Gohan's nervous face disappeared, a pained one replacing it for a second before his face shifted to shut, and emotionless. "Nothing I wish to relive by telling you all." He said in a monotone voice.

Erasa got the idea to drop the subject so when Videl opened her mouth to push the issue, Erasa splashed Sharpener, getting Videl in the process.

"Erasa!" Videl shrieked in a very girlish like voice.

"Hey!" Sharpener yelled, thankfully his voice didn't go too high.

"Hey Gohan, you and me against them?" Erasa asked, while grinning evilly.

"Sure." Gohan agreed with his amusement showing on his face.

"It's war!" Sharpener declared.

Gohan and Erasa shared a look and let out battle cries and started the first attack.

An hour later, the group trudged back to their tents, quickly got changed into dry and warm clothes.

"Man, it got cold here fast." Sharpener declared, stating the obvious.

Gohan shrugged in response, and led the way to where everyone else was meeting.

"OK, listen up. Is everyone here?" Mr. Essen yelled. A series of yeses from everyone rose up and Mr. Essen continued, "OK, tomorrow we will be learning how to make a shelter from the forest, how to forage for food and how to track animals. You will be split into two groups: two pairs of boys and two pairs of girls. You can get into groups of four, and we will then partner you up with another group of four. But all that is tomorrow. Now, we are going to have dinner because I am starving!"

His statement was met with a few cheers, as bowls were handed out and everyone went up to the cooks and dished out bowls of soup for themselves. A piece of bread each was grabbed next and then a plate of vegetables were handed out to everyone.

Everyone ate, either in silence, or in between talking with a friend about what they found while exploring. Once Videl had finished eating, Gohan was on his fourth serving and had been told he wasn't allowed any more.

"That was surprisingly good for camp food." Erasa commented.

"I could've eaten a LOT more!" Gohan complained (no surprise there).

"You had five bowls!" Videl exclaimed.

"Four!" Gohan corrected.

"Whatever," Videl muttered, before looking around and asking, "Does anyone know what we do now?"

"Time for bed!" Mrs. Channing called, which led to a series of groans rising from every teenager around. "Don't muck around, it's already 9 o'clock, and you've walked all day, and will have a lot of work tomorrow. Add to the fact that we will wake you up quite early and the fact not many of you are used to a lot of physical labour, you'll need your sleep. And none of you will sleep for another two hours, bed now." She added, everyone getting up, stacking their dishes next to where the food was handed out and trudging back to their tents.

Mr. Essen called after them, "Tonight will be the only night you guys get off of cleaning duty. Tomorrow, we will hand out schedules to let you know when you will be on cooking or cleaning duty."

No-one listened to the man, all deciding that bed was better than cleaning up.


	4. Stop Monkeying Around

**I'm so sorry about the delay, but I just find it so hard to find time to write these stories because I have exams for school at the moment.**

**Chapter 4 – Stop Monkeying Around**

Sharpener crawled out of his sleeping bag and glanced over to find the other teenage boy in the tent missing. He rolled his eyes and muttered something about nerd-boys getting up way too early and pulled some fresh clothes on. Leaving the tent, he found Erasa and Videl getting out, both dressed and walked over to them. "Hey guys, have you seen Nerd-boy? He was already up and gone when I woke up."

"No, we just got up." Erasa explained happily, way to hyper for the morning.

Videl, on the other hand looked like she was ready to crawl back into her tent and sleep for a week. "What happened to you?" Sharpener asked, glancing at her black, tired eyes.

"Erasa wouldn't stop talking last night. Only when I told her that she would be too tired to flirt in the morning, she fell asleep. That was about 5 hours ago." Videl growled.

Gohan appeared out of nowhere and said, "Don't worry. Everything that they are going to teach us today is easy." he said, stretching upwards and grinning at everyone. He then frowned because Sharpener was glaring at him, Erasa was staring dreamily and Videl was looking away, embarrassed. "What's wrong? Do I have something on my clothes?" the clueless boy asked.

His clothes were what was making his friends act weird. He was wearing a sleeveless orange training gi, much like his father's old one. He hadn't been able to find a singlet to put on underneath so he had gone without. The gi, plus his stretching, had shown off his muscles that no one thought he had.

"It's nothing Gohan. Let's go find breakfast, I'm starving!" Videl said, changing the subject and dragging Erasa after her. Sharpener followed, looking evilly at Gohan and Gohan followed, still clueless to everything.

After breakfast, the teachers spent forever getting everyone to split into groups and gave them numbers. Videl, Erasa, Gohan and Sharpener were group 3, and along with another 4 students, went with Mrs. Channing to learn to build a shelter in the middle of nowhere.

"OK kids. Listen up." she said once they reached a clearing with some trees in the middle after a good 15 minutes walk. "Two groups are going to make a shelter from whatever you find in the forest here. You have an hour, at the end of the hour I will judge whose is better and the winning group gets to go have lunch, while the losing group identifies the weaknesses of their shelter and tries to fix it." she explained.

"Come on guys, we have this one in the bag." Sharpener boasted cockily.

"Don't be over confident Sharpie." Erasa giggled, slapping his arm playfully.

"Yeah, but it's basic logic. Lean sticks together against a tree, cover with leaves and bark and done." Sharpener grinned.

"Obviously it is more complicated but that is the gist of it, yeah" Videl interrupted. "Erasa, you and Gohan find stuff like small sticks and leaves and bark that we can use. Sharpener, help me get these big sticks over here and make the foundations." Videl ordered, immediately taking control of the situation.

Gohan stayed quiet about it and helped Erasa pick up leaves and sticks while Videl bossed Sharpener around, ordering him to lean sticks against a tree that she deemed suitable.

30 minutes later, the four stepped back to admire their handy work, Gohan was trying to not laugh as the 'shelter' wobbled and then collapsed. "Damn it!" Videl growled. He couldn't help it, he burst into laughter. Clutching his sides, he tried to stop but couldn't. Videl turned around and glared at him. Any other person would've cowered under her glare, but Gohan had faced Frieza and Vegeta and next to them, Videl was nothing.

"Sorry guys, but it is just so funny!" he finally said, recovering from his laughter, but a huge smile still on his face.

"And you think you could do better?" Videl snapped.

"Umm, well..." Gohan said, suddenly aware he was on shaky ground. He knew from experience with Bulma that girls didn't like to be told they were wrong and that he knew better, but he was hungry and didn't want to miss lunch. "kinda."

Videl growled and forced out of her mouth through gritted teeth, "How would you do any better than us? And why didn't you tell us before now?"

"You seemed to want to take charge and prove you knew what you were doing." Gohan shrugged.

"Videl, Gohan lived out in a mountain range for his whole life. He probably went camping all the time." Erasa pointed out, trying to keep the peace.

"I got lost when I was 5 and had to survive on my own for a while." Gohan casually shared with them.

"When you were 5?" Sharpener repeated.

"It's not that impressive." Gohan muttered, embarrassed. He scratched the back of his head and grinned at them. "First thing is that you built the shelter on the edge of the clearing, where a tree that looked good was. Whereas, anyone or thing could sneak up on you easily. And you have limited space." Gohan said, changing the topic.

"So what do you suggest nerd boy?" Sharpener asked.

"This one." Gohan said, walking over a tree that looked small and puny.

"I could knock that tree over by flicking it." Sharpener laughed, not impressed at all.

"Sharpener, I think Gohan's right. It is small, so it doesn't take up much room when inside the shelter, and we can build a shelter all the way around it cause of the branches." Erasa said in a sudden moment of intelligence.

"Fine, we'll try it your way Gohan." Videl said reluctantly.

After following Gohan's directions for 15 minutes, the four had a shelter up and all of them but Gohan were surprised at the quality of it. The tree was in the middle, and a shelter was built all around it. There were sticks balanced off the tree's branches and then resting on other sticks, creating a circle around the tree. There was one entrance that was covered with branches that were easily swept to the side. Gohan had crawled inside, curled up and shut his eyes. "There is enough room if you guys wanted to come in and test it out." Gohan called without opening his eyes.

Erasa happily climbed in and sat down next to Gohan. Sharpener climbed in and Videl followed. Sharpener was trying to get comfortable and accidently knocked one of the branches. Videl, Erasa and Sharpener, winced, prepared for it all to fall down but it didn't happen. The branch didn't even fall down.

"I'm so glad that didn't fall." Sharpener commented.

"To knock it over, you'd have to remove about 20 different sticks all at once. Or the obvious way, punch it really hard." Gohan commented, still curled up, 'sleeping'.

The group waited for the next 15 minutes until Mrs Channing called the two groups over to her. They all climbed out and went over to her where she was standing in front of the other group's shelter. It looked pretty sturdy but there were little gaps that rain could get through, or animals use to pull it all apart. The shelter was built much like Videl's first one, on one side of the tree and not very sturdy looking if the wind came pretty strongly.

"This is a very basic, childish way to test how well it stands up to against rain, but it works so put up with it." Mrs Channing said. She made the other group climb inside and wait. She then got a bucket of water and poured it all over the shelter. Squeals and shrieks from the girls showed how much 'rain' got through. The group climbed out, all of them with water spots on their clothes.

"Now, for the other group." she said, walking over to the second shelter. The four climbed in and waited for the water to soak through. It never happened. "Well done guys, none of you got wet and it looks like the shelter will stay standing in a hurricane." the teacher praised. "Sorry guys," she said to the other group, "but these guys are the winners. You guys can go get lunch now." she told them. Gohan was gone down the path before she had even finished talking.

"Oi, nerd boy, wait up!" Sharpener yelled, jogging to catch up. Videl and Erasa followed.

After lunch the groups split up again, Gohan sighed at the lesson they were in store for today. Tracking animals was going to be so much fun.

"Now, we are going to learn how to track down animals, and also fruits and plants that are edible." Mrs. Channing informed them.

"This is going to be fun." Gohan muttered under his breath.

"What was that Nerd-Boy?" Sharpener asked, hearing him talk, but not what he said.

"Nothing." Gohan stammered, jumping in surprise. He rubbed the back of his neck and grinned nervously as all three teenagers examined him closely.

"OK then." Erasa sang happily, drawing the attention off of Gohan who mentally sighed in relief.

A couple of hours later, one very bored Gohan and his friends made their way back to the tents. They walked past the camp fire that the meals were cooked on and saw a piece of paper stuck up on a tree nearby. Videl, being curious, went over and read it.

"It's the duty roster." Videl called back to the other three teenagers who just wanted to go for a swim. "We're cleaning up after dinner tonight."

"Who cares, let's go swimming!" Erasa squealed, running off to her tent and grabbing her bathers from where they were hanging on a tree branch to dry. She practically dived inside the tent and zipped it up. Seconds later, she came out changed with a clean towel around her waist. "Hurry up you guys!" she ordered, pushing Videl into their tent and shoving the girl's bathers in after her.

She turned to force Gohan and Sharpener in when she found Sharpener already changed, trying not to look scared and Gohan stepping out of the tent in his blue shorts with the brown belt. Erasa stared dreamily at Gohan for a moment before turning to Videl who has just gotten out of her tent.

Gohan, why do you wear a belt when going swimming?" Sharpener asked the boy.

His face turned red, and right on cue his arm went behind his head to rub his neck. "I, ah, I mean, um, I have to, to wear it, the b-belt th-that is,"

"Leave him alone, Sharpie." Erasa giggled, slipping her arm through Gohan's and tugging him towards the river. "Can't you see why? His cute little but isn't big enough to hold his shorts up."

Gohan turned even redder, but didn't say a word. He just let Erasa lead him to the river to go swimming.

Later that night, all the kids were sitting around the camp fire, eating their dinner in the dark as the sun had set at about 5 in the afternoon. At the moment, one of the boys was –cough gossiping cough- talking about his fight against Hercule.

Videl sighed and looked around the group, noticing everyone there was paying complete attention to the boy. It was then that she realized Gohan was no-where to be found. "Erasa, I'm just going to go to the toilet. If anyone notices I'm gone, just say I'll be back soon." Videl murmured to the blonde but didn't wait for a reply, just slipped away from the light and into the dark forest.

Videl stumbled her way back to the tents, but found them devoid of life. So she decided to follow a small game trail that was to the left of Gohan's tent and see where it took her.

20 minutes later, and she was completely lost. She growled in frustration and wanted to sit on the floor and cry. She punched the tree next to her and bit back a curse as it didn't give way under her attack. '_Great. I'm lost; Erasa's the only one who knew I left and even then I didn't say where, and now my fist bloody hurts.'_

She leaned against the tree and was about to start crying when she heard, "Hey Videl."

She bolted upright and looked around, "Gohan! Is that you?"

"I'm pretty sure it's me." He said. Videl was still looking around for him, unable to see where he was.

"I'm up here." He said with amusement in his voice.

Videl looked up and sure enough, Gohan was lounging in the tree she had punched. His shape was outlined by the moon. "Gohan. What do you think you're doing out here! You could've gotten lost, and then hurt and we wouldn't be able to find you!" Videl berated, temporarily forgetting her own predicament.

"Like you?" he asked. Videl stared at him open-mouthed. Before she could respond, he held a hand down and said, "Climb up, I wanna show you something."

Videl ignored the boy's hand and with some difficulty, climbed up onto the branch where Gohan was. Videl clutched the trunk nervously and said, "How are you so confident you're not going to fall?"

Gohan chuckled nervously and said, "Practice I guess. When I was little I used to climb out of my bedroom window and run into the forest to climb trees and play with the monkeys." Gohan stood up on the branch, not over balancing once and turned to Videl, "Stand up, you should see this."

Videl stood shakily on the branch, clinging to the trunk to stay upright. "What?"

"Come here." Gohan said, holding a hand out and gesturing with the other one to point to the branch next to him. That was too far from the trunk for Videl to hold on.

"I'll fall."

"You really think I'd let you fall?" Gohan asked gently. Videl thought about it for a moment then took his hand, and slowly shuffled out onto the branch. Gohan turned her to look away from the tree and Videl gasped.

"It's beautiful." She whispered. The moonlight had illuminated the entire forest. From their vantage point, the two teenagers could see the river sparkling in the light, the trees dancing in the wind, half illuminated and the school's camp fire. She turned slightly to look at Gohan's face. His back was to the moon, making shadows cast over his head. "Who are you Gohan?" she whispered, wanting to know what he was hiding.

"I'm just a boy trying to fit in at high school Videl. I have my secrets, and you have yours. I will tell you them once I know I can trust you." Gohan explained, his voice was neutral and emotionless.

"You can trust me." Videl insisted.

"How? What have you done to show I can trust you? You're nice to me, but that doesn't mean I can trust you with my darkest secrets. All you've done is try to interrogate, trick and blackmail me into spilling the beans." Gohan was almost pleading with her. "I want to trust you Videl. I want to trust you, Erasa and Sharpener. But until I know I can trust you, there are some things I don't want to share."

Videl was silent for a moment before surprising Gohan and saying, "You're right Gohan. I am sorry. I can't promise i will stop asking, but I will stop snooping. If that makes sense. And you can trust us Gohan, even if you don't realize it now. You can trust all three of us. You're our friend."

Gohan didn't say anything, just seemed to stare at her. Moments later, just before Videl was going to say something, he jumped down, causing Videl to scream in surprise. "Are you crazy? You could've died!" Videl shouted at him, looking down at him on the forest floor. Looking down was a mistake. While she may have been able to balance by herself standing still, she leaned forward to look and soon lost her balance, falling forward. She let out a scream and squeezed her eyes tight, waiting for the impact on the ground that would hurt. It didn't come. She opened her eyes and found herself in Gohan's arms. He was calmly holding her and seemed to be waiting for her to recover. He gently placed her on her feet, but kept a hand on her arm just in case. "Th-thanks." She forced out, shaking in relief.

"No problem. We should head back now. Come on." Gohan said, leading her through the forest.

"wait! Do you know the way back?" Videl asked, suddenly remembering that she had gotten lost.

"Yeah, this way."

They walked back in silence, Gohan keeping his hand on her arm just in case. They stumbled out of the forest to the clearing (well Videl stumbled, Gohan didn't) where everyone was still sitting in at the camp fire, oblivious to the pair's absence. Gohan let go of Videl's arm and murmured to her, "I'm going to go to bed. I suggest you do the same. That way when Erasa goes to bed, you can be asleep when she tries to talk."

"Goodnight Gohan." Videl said, rubbing her arm where his hand had been. It had been a nice source of warmth during their hike back, and now her arm prickled with the sudden cold.

"Night." He waved and left to go to his tent. He seemed to just blend in with the shadows as he moved outside the fire's light.

'_I promise Gohan. I will prove you can trust me.'_

**TBC**

**Please read and review.**


	5. Aye Aye Me Hearties!

**Please forgive me for such a delay, I was busy with school and exams then lost the plot with this story, meaning I had a block and just couldn't write the next chapter, I would write a page, then delete it because it was horrible or didn't work or something was wrong.**

**Thank you to all who have reviewed this story so far, your comments mean a lot to me.**

**Again, I am soooo sorry, and I hope you all enjoy it. Read and review. :-)**

* * *

**Chapter 5 – Aye Aye Me Hearties!**

Again, when Sharpener awoke, Gohan was nowhere to be found. Leaving the tent to find the girls sitting around the camp fire with said teenager, was a surprise. Sharpener stumbled over to them and yawned. He accepted a bowl of porridge and collapsed on the log next to Erasa.

"Wow Sharpener, you look like shit." Videl commented.

"Thanks Videl, that's exactly what I wanted to hear." Sharpener mumbled, as he shovelled the breakfast into his mouth.

"I don't see how you're not exhausted Gohan." Erasa pouted, noticing the lack of exhaustion in the boy.

"I'm used to roughing it outside. I would say that we have it pretty easy out here. We have tents, food, clothes, and the river to wash in." Gohan shrugged as he finished his third bowl of porridge.

"Easy?" Erasa shrieked. "You think we have it easy? I haven't washed my hair for two days, I haven't showered in just as long, and my nails are filthy and ruined." She wailed.

"It's only the third day Erasa." Videl commented.

"I know! That's what makes it worse!" she burst into tears, and cried onto Videl's shoulder, who awkwardly patted the blonde on the shoulder.

"Well it could be worse. It could be raining." Gohan said cheerfully. His grinned slipped off as all three friends glared at him. "Never mind." He said, swallowing his fear that popped up all of a sudden.

* * *

After breakfast, when everyone was ready and dressed appropriately, Ms. Channing led her group to the river. "Today's lesson is learning how to make a raft and cross this river, but honestly, it's just a bit of fun. You have three hours. They start now." She said, starting a stopwatch and then leaning against a tree, pulling a book out and reading.

"OK, Gohan, do you know what to do?" Videl asked, knowing that the mountain boy might actually know the best way of doing this.

"Um, kind of, yeah, but I thought you would want to –"

"I want to finish first. And that means using the team's strengths. At the moment, that's using your knowledge." Videl explained, grinning at him.

"OK, first thing is to find the stuff we need. We will need tree branches that are long enough for us to sit in twos and enough to make it wide enough to sit across. Here, let me show you." Gohan picked up a stick and drew it out on the dust. "Since it's just this river, we don't need anything fancy. Sharpener, Erasa find trees that you can peel the bark off in long strips. That'll be our rope. Videl, you and I are going to find the branches."

"Gohan, wouldn't it be better if Erasa and you find rope, and Videl and I get the branches?" Sharpener asked the boy, while Videl and Erasa figured out which way they would go.

"Probably, but this way none of us will get lost. I have Videl, and Erasa has you." Gohan lied. He knew that between Videl and him, they could quite a few branches, but he wasn't going to tell Sharpener that.

"Right." Sharpener nodded, understanding the logic behind that. "Good thinking Nerd-Boy."

"I try." Gohan grinned. The pair then spilt up, Videl and Gohan heading deep into the forest for good trees, while Erasa and Sharpener headed along the river bank.

* * *

Gohan leaned back and shut his eyes, relaxing on the water. They had built the raft, and launched it. Now they were drifting on the lake, having already crossed the river, they now were waiting for the other group to finish their raft and try to get across.

"I still don't see how we're going to survive this next week. I mean, without using the emergency food." Erasa stated, as she was worried about the week they were going to be living on their own in the forest.

"It's easy as, you just need to find a source of water, and get food. It won't hurt us if we miss a meal or two either, it's not like we'll starve to death." Gohan said, not opening his eyes.

"You sound like you've done it before?" Videl asked, curious to his answer.

"I told you before, I got lost when I was young and had to survive on my own in the forest for a while before I found my way home." Gohan shrugged.

"How old were you?" Sharpener asked.

"How long were you lost?" Videl asked, happy the boy was sharing.

"I was five, and it was for nearly a year." Came the response.

The three teens stared in shock at the fourth teen who purposefully ignored them, dozing off.

"HELP!" came a sudden screech, lined with amusement as the other group had launched their raft, which was now sinking.

The four teens looked over at the other group and at the two girls attempting to not get wet and the boys trying to salvage their raft.

"Come on, we should help them." Videl groaned, paddling over with one of their 'oars' (a stick) while Gohan followed her lead and helped row them over.

Reaching then, Gohan pulled one of the guys up and next to him, while Sharpener did the same for the other guy. Videl and Erasa grabbed the two girls. The combined weight of the eight of them caused the raft to dip into the water quite a bit, but all the teenagers let out a sigh of relief when it didn't sink.

"Looks like group 3 are the winners. Well done guys." Ms. Channing laughed, as the groups drifted towards the bank. Videl shared an evil grin with Sharpener and together they pushed the other team off of the raft, into the water.

The four other teenagers fell into the water with shrieks and surfaced, spluttering and angry at the pair who smiled innocently.

"Come on then, we'll head back to camp for lunch and then you'll get all the information you need for the hike." Ms. Channing ordered, still laughing at the sopping wet teenagers and the smug, dry teenagers.

* * *

"OK team, listen up!"

"Why should we listen? We know everything we need to." Sharpener whispered to Videl and Erasa. The girls looked at the blonde in confusion. "Well, we're abandoned for a week, and told to find random things like a certain type of plant or tree or something, then we have to be at a certain point marked on a map at the end of the week or else, we're left behind. Easy peasy."

"Mr Pencil, if you would be so kind as to listen when I talk, thank you." Ms Channing scolded.

"Sorry, Ms." Sharpener muttered.

"While you are spending a week out by yourselves, you'll be required to find certain things that happen to be around the area you are dropped off in. To practice, you are going to have to complete a scavenger hunt today with your tent buddy. You have three hours to get everything on this list." the teacher held up said list, "and a map, along with a flare gun you are to only use if you get lost or need immediate help. You are not to travel directly with another group, and we will know if you do. Understand?"

All the teenagers mumbled various answers (along the lines of 'yeah whatever') and grabbed the papers before splitting up.

"Come on Nerd-boy." Sharpener dragged Gohan out of the camp-site and into the forest.

* * *

The items were easy to find, just spread out. The map had the different types of plants marked on the areas they grew and where the most common places certain animals were seen so finding the different twigs, stems and even animal poop was easy, but long. The two boys walked through the forest, storing the objects in their pockets.

"So, you were lost in the forest for a year as a five year old?" Sharpener asked Gohan.

"Yeah, I couldn't find my way back to my mum and had to survive on my own. She looked for me, obviously, and I eventually made it home." Gohan shrugged.

"So, I picked the right partner to share a tent with, considering we have to survive on our own for a week, huh? I mean, you did it for a year, how hard can it be?" Sharpener joked, before laughing.

Gohan studied Sharpener for a moment, realising the boy's jokes and teasing was just a show of companionship. "Yeah, I suppose so." Gohan laughed along, rubbing the back of his neck.

The pair walked in silence for 30 minutes, following the map to a clearing where a certain animal likes to hang around in. "Listen, Videl told me and Erasa that you didn't trust us." Sharpener spoke up after a while.

"It's not that I don't trust you, it's just that I don't know you guys yet and can't trust you until I know you." Gohan explained, not wanting to insult the boy.

"Nah, that's cool man. I know the feeling, I mean, we haven't been perfectly welcoming, but you know Videl means well, she just wants to know everything about you so she can fit you in her mind all nice and neat like the rest of us."

"What?" Gohan asked, confused at the teen's words.

"Well, she knows all of us at school, even the people she hates and can't stand. They fit into certain groups in certain categories in her mind, it's how she sorts information. You know, like 'they do this and that's good but I don't like them because of this'. And 'I like them because I enjoy talking to them but I get pissed off at his constant flirting'. Well, she doesn't know where you sit yet and it annoys her. She'll settle down soon, you are the new guy, after all." Sharpener explained.

"You know the girls think you're stupid, right?" Gohan commented after a moment.

"And I'd like to keep it that way." Sharpener jokingly warned. The boys laughed together for a moment before walking in silence again. And, once again, Sharpener was the one who broke it after a while, "You know, you're different out here, Nerd-boy."

"I'm comfortable out here." Gohan shrugged. "I grew up surrounded by forests and animals and plants. My mum thought I should meet people my own age and get used to the world so she sent me to Satan City for school. The city is completely different to what I am used to, with all the cars and things and I tend to get a little embarrassed, of course I am going to be different out here where I am comfortable and confident."

"Right." Sharpener agreed, thinking on his words as they continued walking in silence.

* * *

A couple hours later, and the scavenger hunt was finished, with Gohan and Sharpener being the only ones with everything. As a reward, they got out of cleaning up the dinner dishes.

After the cleaning up was finished, the teens all split into the groups they would be hiking in and were told to talk about the upcoming task and to elect a captain.

"I think Gohan should be captain. I know Videl is used to leading and stuff, but Gohan has experience and it's not like we won't get a say in things and stuff." Sharpener announced.

"Do you mind, Gohan?" Videl asked the boy politely, friendly.

"No, ah, I mean, if you don't mind I'll be captain, but if you want to be captain, I really don't mind, as Sharpener said, we'll all have say so it's not like having you captain would mean we have to do everything you say without complaint. But, I'm not saying, that if you were captain, I wouldn't listen to you and do what you said, it's just that –" Gohan stuttered and rambled, acting nervous all of a sudden.

"Gohan!" Videl cut the boy off. "I agree with Sharpener, you're the best option for captain, you've had the most experience living out in the wild and you live in a forest anyway." Gohan nodded in agreement. "Well then, that's settled."

"Right, more importantly, do you reckon we'll have time to have a bath tomorrow morning before we leave?" Erasa asked, causing Gohan and Videl to roll their eyes and Sharpener to agree.

"I have to wash my hair before we go, most definitely." Sharpener agreed.

* * *

Later that night, when everyone was in bed, Videl was pretending to be asleep so Erasa didn't talk and keep her up. She was thinking about the enigma that was Gohan.

_'He seemed much more confident making the raft then he has since we've met him. I just wrote him off as a nerd who didn't know much about the real world, and maybe that's what made him so uncomfortable, the fact we assumed all these things about him, and then he felt like he had to be like what we thought.'_ Videl rolled over and punched her pillow to make it more comfortable. _'Well, I won't assume things about him any more. Sharpener and him seemed to be closer since that scavenger hunt, laughing and talking together instead of Sharpener teasing and Gohan stuttering. He seems much more relaxed out here in the woods, which is good, because it'll help me convince him he can trust me. And he'll be more comfortable showing us who he really is, not what we judged him to be.'_

* * *

Sharpener stared at the boy who was asleep next to him. He just couldn't figure the teenager out. Before the camp he had been shy and stuttering over his words, quaking with fear when Videl glared at him, blushing when Erasa talked to him and avoiding Sharpener when he teased the boy. Now that they were out in the forest, he had relaxed and could laugh and joke with Erasa, stand up to Videl and tell her to back off and wait until he knew them and had even teased Sharpener back when he had commented on his brains.

While Sharpener was musing about his new friend (because even though he didn't know much about the boy, Gohan was his friend now), he noticed a streak of dirt on Gohan's waist. Sharpener frowned and reached over to brush it off, but instead of encountering dirt, he felt warm fur brush his fingers and he jerked back, staring at his hand, then at Gohan's waist where something was laying over his waist and around his hips. Gohan mumbled in his sleep and rolled over to the side, away from Sharpener. In doing so, the brown thing moved and flopped down, away from Gohan's waist. Sharpener stared in shock as he noticed that the brown thing twitched and moved as Gohan slept on, and then the blonde's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open as he noticed where the brown thing was attached to Gohan's lower back.

_'Oh my god,' _Sharpener thought, _'Gohan has a freaking tail!'_

* * *

**TBC**

**Please read and review, and I am going to try and have the next chapter up by tomorrow night.**

**Again, I am so sorry about the delay to those who have been waiting for a while.**


	6. Gohan and his furry friend

**Here is the next chapter, hope you enjoy.**

**Thanks to all those who reviewed, your thoughts and feedback mean a lot to me and I love hearing what you all are thinking.**

* * *

**Chapter 6 – Gohan and his furry friend**

Sharpener stared at the boy in shock and surprise. He gripped the tail, and yanked on it, just to make sure it was real and not just a joke and jumped when the teenager woke up with a gasp and jerked upright, his tail slipping through Sharpener's fingers and wrapping itself back around his waist.

"You, you, you have a, a, a, tail." Sharpener stuttered.

"What do you mean, I have a tail? I think you've been dreaming and are confused, Sharpener." Gohan spoke calmly, a look of confusion passing over his face.

"No, I was most definitely not dreaming, I haven't even fallen asleep yet. You have a bloody tail and don't even bother trying to deny it." Sharpener growled almost, freaking out that his new friend had a god-damn_ tail!_

"Please, Sharpener, not so loud!" Gohan hissed, panic and worry on his face as he quietened the boy down. "This is exactly why I don't tell people that I have a tail, I don't want to be locked up and experimented on." the boy gave up on denying it any longer.

Sharpener glared at the boy, but lowered his voice as he said, "You have a freaking tail and you expect me to just accept that? There's no way that is natural, you must have had surgery or something to put it in."

"I was born this way, so was my dad. We never figured out why, which is why I don't tell people. I most definitely do not want to get sent to hospitals and labs and tested and poked and experimented on." Gohan explained.

"You were born with it?" Sharpener asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Yeah, I'll show you a baby photo to prove it if you don't believe me, when we get back from this hike." Gohan muttered. "Just, please, don't tell anyone."

"I promise not to tell anyone about your tail, on one condition." Sharpener agreed.

"What's that?"

* * *

"Good morning class! Today is the start of your week of survival. What's going to happen is that we will hike up to a clearing, where we will take a helicopter to different locations to drop you off. From there you will have a map and all the necessary equipment to survive and you will be required to stay out there for a week. You will have emergency supplies to use, food and water, if you have to, but you will lose points at the end of the camp. You will also have a flare gun that you are to use if you are in trouble, and we will come help as soon as we can get there. Also, you will have GPS locators, so if you get lost and we can't find you in a week, we can come find you. By the end of the 7 days, you will have to make it back to where we are hiking to today, where the helicopter picks us up from. Is that understood?" Ms Channing explained.

The group of teenagers packed up their tents and set off, walking along a path in their groups of four, chatting and speculating on the upcoming week. Gohan was silent, as Erasa and Videl were talking about how they were going to survive without showers, well, Erasa was talking and Videl was listening absent-mindedly.

"Don't forget what you have to do." Sharpener muttered to Gohan, as they walked along.

"I know, I haven't forgotten." Gohan muttered back, glancing nervously back at the girls who were behind them.

"Relax, Nerd-boy." Sharpener grinned, hitting the teen on his shoulder in a friendly manner. "It'll be fine."

"Easy for you to say." Gohan muttered under his breath as the blonde fell back to talk with the girls.

* * *

By lunchtime, the groups had arrived at the clearing.

"OK, from here, we will take one group at a time to different locations." Mr Essen explained. "Group 1, you're up first."

The teenagers flopped down as the teachers de-capsulated a helicopter and took the four people in group 1 off to the north. Within an hour, group 1 had been dropped off and group 2 were currently being dropped off, so group 3 (Gohan, Erasa, Videl and Sharpener) were waiting for their turn in a few minutes.

"Gohan," Sharpener warned, about to continue.

"When we get to our drop-off site and are alone." Gohan interrupted.

"Wait for what?" Erasa asked cheerfully, overhearing the pair.

"Nothing." Gohan blushed, turning away from the girl and looking up at the sky as the helicopter returned.

Videl studied the boy as they sat in the machine and were flown to the east. '_What has made him so nervous? He was perfectly fine yesterday, talking with all of us and everything, now he jumps whenever we speak and blushes whenever one of is alone with him.' _Videl internally growled in frustration. _'One day I think I've figured him out and then goes and does something like this. I'll just have to wait and see if he tells us what's up, or if he'll just relax around us over time.'_

* * *

Videl watched as the helicopter flew back to the west, and turned to Gohan who was being glared at by Sharpener.

"OK, Gohan, I promised I wouldn't dig any more, but what is up? You've been jumpy all day and now Sharpener is glaring daggers into your head. What's wrong?" Videl demanded to know, worried for her new friend (and a little curious).

"We need to find a water supply and shelter. Then I will tell you." Gohan announced, glaring back at Sharpener.

"Fine, fine, but no later, understand Nerd-boy?" Sharpener grumbled.

Gohan nodded. The boy studied the map they were given (but not told where they were) and announced, "There's a lake that runs north to where we were picked up from the helicopter and all along here. So there is a good chance that if we head north, there will be this lake. That's the best place to start." the boy set off to the north, as Sharpener followed, and Videl and Erasa shared a confused look before heading off as well.

* * *

Within an hour, they had reached the lake and a clearing not far from it.

"We can make a shelter here, spend the night, then try and find the cliffs here tomorrow for a cave." Gohan explained, as the other three collapsed in the clearing, tired of walking.

"OK, now tell us what's wrong." Erasa demanded. "We might be able to help you."

"It's not a problem as such, it's more something that Sharpener thinks I should share with you." Gohan sighed.

"Sharpener?" Videl turned to the blonde. "If he doesn't want to tell us, then he doesn't have to."

"No, I, I want to. I just don't know how to tell you, and how you will react." Gohan spoke up, saving Sharpener from defending himself.

"Just spit it out, sweetie." Erasa giggled.

"I have a tail." Gohan blurted out.

Silence.

"Excuse me?" Videl asked.

"I have a tail." Gohan repeated.

"Is this a joke?" Erasa asked, confused.

"No, he seriously has a tail." Sharpener spoke up.

"You got a tail from surgery, why?" Videl asked, trying to figure out why someone would want a tail.

Gohan chuckled nervously, and rubbed his neck. "I didn't. I was born with it."

"I'm sorry, a stupid question, but where?" Erasa asked, gesturing to his tailless person.

"Oh, right, sorry." Gohan blinked, and all of a sudden his tail unfurled from around his waist and hung from his lower back, waving back and forth slightly like a cat. "See, and I was born with it."

"You have a tail." Videl repeated, sounding a little shocked. She stared at it for a second, before bursting into laughter.

"It's not that funny." Gohan mumbled, turning red.

"Admit it, nerd-boy, it is a little funny." Sharpener shrugged, grinning at the teen. "And I told you nothing would go wrong with telling them."

Gohan shrugged. "Wait, you told Sharpener?" Videl asked, once she stopped laughing.

"No, he found out last night, I was asleep and he saw it." Gohan explained. "He said he wouldn't tell anyone, but that I should tell you guys."

"I think it's cute." Erasa shrugged. "Can I touch it?" She asked, reaching out towards the teen.

"If, if you have to." Gohan muttered, turning red but shuffling closer. His tail reached out and wrapped itself around Erasa's wrist as she went to stroke it. "Sorry, it has a mind of it's own sometimes." Gohan glared at it, until it unwrapped itself and moved back around his waist.

"Well, I promise not to tell anyone bout your furry friend." Sharpener announced.

"Ditto, I won't tell a soul." Erasa added.

"I swear I won't tell anyone, but you do know you don't have to hide it now that we know, right?" Videl asked. "I mean, you shouldn't have to hide to begin with, but I understand why you want to, but it's just us four and I don't see why you have to hide out here."

"Thanks guys." Gohan grinned at all of them as they all agreed with Videl. He visibly relaxed and then said, "Let's go swimming in the lake!" he grinned.

"Last one ready and in the water is a rotten egg." Erasa added.

* * *

**TBC**

**This is a little on the short side, but I couldn't write anything after that, it seemed wrong. To make up for the shortness, I am going to try and post the next chapter up tonight as well, so hopefully it'll all work out :-)**

**Please review and let me know your thoughts.**


	7. 20 fish and still hungry

**Here is the next chapter, enjoy.**

**Just a quick note, I know that having Icarus in this forest near Gohan and not near his house is most likely wrong, but for the sake of this story, please ignore that fact and just accept the fact that the dragon finds Gohan and lives nearby :-)**

**Please read and review.**

* * *

**Chapter 7 – 20 fish and still hungry**

"I see a cave!" Erasa called, pointing to the cliff face they had been walking towards for hours. True enough, there was a black smudge on the wall, signalling a cave.

"Now we just have to go and see if there is an animal in there or if we can use it." Gohan grinned.

"Last one there has to cook dinner tonight!" Erasa shouted, taking off for the caves. Videl and Sharpener sprinted off, overtaking the girl quickly and racing each other to the cave, both wanting to be first.

Gohan began jogging and ran along with Erasa, matching her speed easily.

Within minutes all four were outside the cave, looking in. "How do we know if it is occupied?" Sharpener asked.

"We go in and see." Gohan announced cheerfully, walking in without a care in the world. The other three waited outside, waiting to see if Gohan came running back out screaming or didn't come back at all but entered the cave hesitantly when Gohan called out, "It's safe guys, come on in."

Inside the cave, the teenagers glanced around at the huge empty cavern with surprise. The late afternoon sun was at the time that the sun was lighting up the cave, allowing the group to see the entire place, devoid of any signs of other animals, even past signs.

"Told you it was empty." Gohan teased, emptying his pockets of the flare gun, map and capsule case. In the case was the emergency food and water supply, equipment like torches, fishing poles and matches and also a tent. The other capsule was his own clothes and things. The other three emptied their pockets of their drink bottles and belongings and began to argue about what to do now.

"Well we need to find food, firewood and also water." Videl pointed out.

"OK, well Erasa, you go round the forest and find good firewood, Sharpener and Videl can go looking for a water source, if you don't find one, there was that stream we passed an hour ago. I'll go see if I can find any food." Gohan suggested. Everyone agreed and set off.

Within an hour, Videl and Sharpener had found a river, Erasa had a huge pile of wood and the three had set out their sleeping bags around the fire pit they created, leaving a spot for Gohan. Gohan walked into the cave, with a fishing pole in his hand, and a string of fish.

"You found food then?" Sharpener grinned, as his stomach growled.

"Yeah, the river that I am assuming you guys found too." Gohan grinned back, flopping down in front of the fire and throwing the fish down. "Any of you know how to cook fish over a fire?" he asked curiously.

"Nope." Erasa grinned unashamedly.

"Not really." Sharpener muttered. Videl just shook her head.

Gohan frowned for a moment, and asked, "What did you guys do as kids?" but didn't wait for an answer, just shrugged. He grabbed a flat stone and placed it on the edge of the fire. He threw the fish down on the stone and started explaining, "Well, I already gutted them and everything so now we just wait for them to cook."

"You sure we got enough food?" Sharpener joked.

"No." Gohan pouted momentarily, "I am going to go out and find some fruits and stuff later too."

"Gohan, you have like twenty fish." Videl pointed out.

He laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck, "I eat lots." he mumbled embarrassedly.

"We noticed." Erasa giggled.

* * *

The sun had set and the four teens were sitting around the fire, full (mostly full) and laughing as Erasa told a story of when Videl embarrassed herself.

They all finished laughing and Sharpener turned to Gohan, "What's your family like? We just met, we don't know if you have siblings, a step-dad, a crazy uncle, whatever. So, what's it like?"

"Well, I live in the 439 area with my mum, ChiChi and my little brother who is 6, Goten." Gohan shrugged.

"What about your dad?" Erasa asked, curious.

"He died when Cell attacked." Gohan explained, his tone emotionless and face blank, but he stared into the fire with glistening eyes, full of pain and sorrow.

"I'm sorry." Videl told the boy.

Sharpener spoke up, "I thought all those who died came back to life somehow?"

"My dad didn't." Gohan shrugged.

"So, do you have any crazy uncles?" Sharpener changed the topic, sensing the boy didn't want to talk about his dad any more.

"I had one, but he died when I was four, before I knew him. My dad's friends are like uncles to me though, and they're pretty crazy." Gohan grinned at the memories of Krillen and Piccolo.

"Yeah? Who are they and what are they like?" Videl asked, curious.

"Well, there's Krillen, who is more like a friend then an uncle but he is short and bald and makes everyone laugh at him on purpose to keep everyone happy. Then there's Piccolo, who is serious all the time and scares those who he hates, but to those who he cares for he will look out for them until he is dead. Then there's Roshi who is more like the embarrassing grandfather then an uncle. He is perverted pig who only looks out for himself, but we all keep him around because he's hilarious. There's also my godmother, Bulma, who can handle everyone else and who ever makes her mad has to sit through her scolding and then she gets her revenge through some embarrassing prank."

"Wait, Bulma Briefs? Or a different Bulma?" Erasa interrupted.

"Yeah, Bulma Briefs, why?" Gohan asked, confused.

"You know _the _Bulma Briefs?" Sharpener asked.

"Yeah, she's my godmother." Gohan frowned in confusion before rememebering that she was famous. "Oh yeah, she's famous isn't she?" he laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck.

"She's the most stylish, most successful woman alive!" Erasa squealed. "You have to introduce me to her! The moment we get back!"

"Sure, sure. She won't mind." Gohan smiled nervously, a little freaked out by the squealing, hyperactive female opposite the fire from him.

"Wait, your dad is Goku Son, isn't he?" Videl figured out.

"Who?" Erasa asked.

"Why do you think that?" Sharpener asked.

"Yeah, he is." Gohan mumbled.

"Well, Bulma Briefs was best friends with Goku Son who was a fighter at the World Martial Arts Tournament three times, the first two of which he came second and the third he won before running off with a woman who he fought and then noone heard from him after that." Videl explained. "That fighter was ChiChi, daughter of the Ox King. Goku was trained by the Turtle Hermit, Master Roshi along with another pupil, Krillen. They're all people you mentioned."

"My father is Goku Son, yeah." Gohan shrugged.

"That means you must know martial arts." Videl pointed out. "I mean, both parents were well-known fighters."

"I've been training since I was four." Gohan admitted.

"Do you want to spar?" Videl asked, excitedly.

"Not really." Gohan muttered.

"Come on, I'll go easy on you." Videl smirked.

"Fine, but you asked for it." Gohan sighed, giving in to the inevitable and moving outside the cave. He still wore a gi, from when he was walking and Videl was in her normal shirt and shorts. Gohan sighed and slid into a stance at the entrance, ready for Videl to attack.

Videl slid into her stance, and studied his, surprised at how well balanced it was. There wasn't any holes and he seemed perfectly balanced, able to hold the pose for hours. She smirked at the boy and lunged, throwing a wide punch to start, wanting to gain an idea of his skill before going all out at him. He blocked the punch and kicked out at her, causing her to jump backwards to avoid it.

She grinned at him and lunged forward again, throwing punches and kicks as fast as she could. She stepped back a few minutes later to stare at Gohan in shock, panting for breath. "You blocked every single attack." She gasped.

"I've been fighting for 13 years." Gohan pointed out.

"Why didn't you throw any punches at all. Stop holding back and fight me god damn it." Videl growled before throwing herself back into action. They fought for 10 minutes, Videl going all out, throwing everything she had into every punch but Gohan blocked every one. He then kicked out with his left leg and knocked her over. She coughed as the blow forced the air out of her lungs and she rolled onto her hands and knees, trying to recover.

Videl stood up to stare in shock at the boy who beat her so easily.

"Are you alright?" Gohan asked, worried that he had hurt her.

"I'm fine, but if you can fight like that, you should take on my dad and get him to teach you! You could probably end up beating him with practice." Videl gasped.

Gohan scoffed and shrugged. "I'm fine with my teachers at the moment."

"Well they should fight my dad, it'd be a close battle, if you fight like that under their teaching, they might even be able to defeat him! That'd take him down a level or ten." Videl smirked.

Gohan studied her for a moment then grinned, "You want your dad to lose?"

"I'm sick of him being so up himself and so mighty and bragging and everything. It'd be good for him to be beaten every once in a while." Videl grinned with an evil glint in his eye.

Gohan laughed and laughed for a long time, confusing Videl, Erasa and Sharpener (who had been watching). "Oh god, you want him to lose!" he eventually stopped and walked back into the cave, climbing into his sleeping bag and settling back down. The other three did the same. "So, what about you guys? I mean, what are your families like?" Gohan asked.

"Well, there's only me and my dad, and we make a dog and cat look like best friends. He hates my guts and I hate him. I live on my own in the city, and get christmas cards every year and birthday cards on the wrong dates that say you know, dear sharpener, merry christmas, from father, that shit." Sharpener shrugged, "Not very interesting really."

"I'm the opposite," Erasa spoke up, "My dad left my mum when she told him she was pregnant and we've survived on our own my whole life. My mum and I are best friends, we go shopping and talk and gossip and everything and she absolutely adores Videl and Sharpener. She sees it as her role to play mum to them cause neither of them have one any more." the blonde girl smiled softly at her friends.

"Videl?" Gohan asked, when she didn't speak up. "what about you? If you're comfortable with talking."

"My mum died when I was 7, she was murdered. The murderer is in jail for a life sentence. My dad, as you know, killed Cell, became famous and rich and consequently I am famous and rich." Videl shrugged, laying down on her sleeping bag and staring up at the ceiling.

The group was silent for a few moments before Sharpener said, "I reckon we should get some sleep, tomorrow we'll spend finding all the things we need to find and food and where where we gotta go next, if anywhere for this scavenger hunt. Night y'all." Sharpener lifted the blankets over his head and rustled about, getting ready to sleep.

"Goodnight everyone." Erasa yawned, before settling down to sleep as well.

"Night." Gohan mumbled, laying on his back, with his hands under his head.

Videl didn't answer.

* * *

Videl woke in the middle of the night, and glanced around the cave. She noticed Sharpener and Erasa sleeping peacefully, but Gohan was missing. She stood up and crept out the cave to see if she could find him. She walked outside and looked around but couldn't see him. She sighed in defeat and went to go back inside but remembered how he had been up a tree last time he disappeared and she quickly scanned the tree tops, grinning when she noticed his outline up one of the trees.

"Gohan!" Videl called softly, not wanting to wake Erasa or Sharpener just inside the cave.

"Videl, you want to come up?" Gohan asked, not looking down.

Videl glanced at the trunk and tried to climb up but couldn't get a hold on it. "I can't, can you help please?"

Gohan glanced down and Videl stifled a scream as he fell backwards, but suddenly jerked to a stop, hanging off by his tail. He reached down with a hand and Videl reached up and gripped his hand. He hoisted her up, and swung up himself effortlessly.

"I'm sorry about prying before, I didn't mean to push you into sharing stuff you didn't want to." Videl muttered.

"I didn't mind. I just don't like talking about my dad much." Gohan shrugged.

"Gohan, can I ask you something? If you're not comfortable with answering, you don't have to, but I just want to know if I am right or not."

"Sure, go ahead."

"Were you and your family at the Cell games?"'

* * *

**TBC**

**Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, Gohan is beginning to trust his friends and tell them things, but just how did Videl come to that conclusion? Stay tuned for the next chapter to find out :-)**

**The stories about Sharpener's, Erasa's and Videl's family are all made up, so if they don't match up with the show or whatever, forgive me, I wasn't aiming for that and I hope it doesn't bother you too much.**

**Please review and let me know your thoughts.**


	8. Just like a bunny

**Thank you to all who reviewed! It made me smile when so many people had reviewed and let me know what they thought and that they all enjoyed it!**

**I meant to post this yesterday, but my internet crashed. I don't know when it will be fixed, I am using a friend's computer to post this chapter, but I hope I will be able to post my chapters from my house by tomorrow...if the internet is fixed.**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much, and keep up the reviews please :-)**

**XXX**

**Chapter 8 ****– Just like a bunny**

"_Were you and your family at the Cell games?"'_

Gohan stared at her in shock. "No. where would you get that idea?" Gohan finally announced.

"You were though, you're the Delivery Boy! I remember watching the broadcast and hearing Goku mentioned, and Dad mentioned him afterwards. Your Dad fought Cell, you fought Cell!" Videl insisted, excited.

"No Videl. You have me mistaken with someone else." Gohan cut her off. He then jumped down off the tree. "I am sorry, but I don't want to talk about my dad any more." He then walked off, away from the cliff.

Videl groaned in frustration and annoyance. "I was so sure that it was him!" she muttered. "It has to be him, he is lying because he doesn't want to talk about it, I mean, his dad died that day, I wouldn't want to talk about it either if I was him." Videl sighed. "Stupid promise not to dig any further." she glanced around at the tree and then at the floor which seemed a long way away. "Now, how do I get down from here?" she asked herself.

**XXX**

The next day, Gohan spent in silence, ignoring everyone else. Sharpener and Erasa were confused as the boy had been relaxed and sharing last night but now he had clammed up.

"Oi, Nerd-boy, you know we wont go telling anyone else about all the stuff you said last night, you're our friend." Sharpener told the boy who looked up from cooking breakfast (more fish) and smiled at Sharpener.

"I know Sharpener, I'm just tired, that's all." Gohan chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.

Videl stayed silent. _'It was you, I know it, and I will just wait until you trust me to bring it back up.'_

The four ate breakfast in silence. Erasa was the first to break it, once they had all finished eating.

"Hey Videl, I'm going for a swim in the lake, wanna come?" Erasa asked, already changed into her bikini.

"Sure, just give me a minute to change." Videl went through her bag and pulled out her bathers, moving further into the cave out of sight to change. Sharpener did the same, though Gohan didn't.

"hey sweetie, you can come too." Erasa offered.

"No thanks, I'm going to look around and see if I can find exactly where we are on the map." Gohan shrugged. "I'll see you guys later tonight, I'll be back for dinner." he then walked out of the cave and off to the left, away from the lake.

"I wonder what he's worried about." Erasa sighed. "Oh well, he'll tell us when he's ready. Last one to the water has to make lunch."

"You're on!" Sharpener grinned, sprinting away. Videl, who was still getting changed laughed but quickly dressed then ran off, trying to catch up.

**XXX**

30 minutes later and the three were floating in the water, relaxing and washing away the dirt and sweat from yesterday.

"Hey Videl, do you know what's up with Gohan?" Erasa asked suddenly.

"I talked with him last night and I think I hit a nerve." Videl confessed.

"Videl!" Erasa and Sharpener groaned.

"What?" Videl asked defensively.

"He was just opening up, you wait a bit before pouncing and opening the big guns, I mean seriously." Erasa sighed.

"What?" Videl asked, confused.

"He was just getting used to us and sharing stuff with us, and I'm betting you asked about his dad or something, yeah?" Sharpener explained. Videl nodded, she had asked about him in an indirect way. "Well, it was obviously a touchy subject, and he had already told us lots so you probably overdid it, and now he is retreating away from us. You should've waited a few days before asking him. What did you ask anyway?"

"Nothing important." Videl dismissed lazily. "I'll apologise to him when he gets back."

**XXX**

_Meanwhile, somewhere else in the world;_

"Gohan! What are you doing here? Aren't you meant to be at school or something?" Dende asked, greeting his friend with a smile on his face.

"We're on a camp at the moment, but I am starving, I was hoping I could, prehaps, get something to eat here? Please?" Gohan rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and nervously.

"Of course, come on, Mr Popo will have something for you to eat." Dende led Gohan inside the building and to the kitchen, where Mr Popo was setting out a huge meal.

"Mr Popo," Gohan greeted.

"Gohan, I assume you are hungry?" Mr Popo asked, as Gohan's stomach growled.

Gohan chuckled and said, "Yeah, a little."

"Dig in."

Gohan dug in.

**XXX**

Within an hour Gohan had finished, and was now talking with Dende.

"So, this girl figured out the truth and you got annoyed with her?" Dende asked, trying to make sense of what Gohan had told him.

"What, no, well, yes, but if you put it that way, it makes it sound like I'm overreacting." Gohan mumbled, a little embarrassed.

"Well, why not tell her the truth?"

"That her dad is a liar, I killed Cell and can do what your dad calls tricks and light shows? That'll go down well." Gohan sighed.

"You told them about your family, you obviously trust them."

"I don't know. I only told them the basics about everyone. I didn't mention Vegeta, or Cell or the androids. I didn't mention the fact that I am the Gold Fighter and I didn't mention that her dad is a liar and a weakling and milking the limelight because he knows it's only a matter of time before someone finds out the truth and exposes him." Gohan pointed out. "Anyway, there's only a week left, I'll just have to ignore them until the end of all this."

"Is that wise?" Dende asked.

Gohan ignored him by looking down at his watch and saying, "Look at the time, I better get back and make sure they haven't killed themselves. Thanks for the food Dende, Mr Popo." Gohan ran to the edge of the Lookout Tower and jumped off, flying back to the cave and his team members.

"Sometimes I wonder just how smart that boy is." Dende muttered, before moving to help Mr Popo wash the dishes.

**XXX**

It was late afternoon by the time Gohan walked through the trees to the cave, only to find the three teenagers waiting outside in their bathers, wrapped in towels, huddling together and shivering from the cold.

"Ah, what's going on guys?" Gohan asked, confused.

"There's something in the cave, it's a monster or something." Sharpener whispered. "It's sleeping at the moment but all our stuff is in there, even our flare gun! What are we going to do?"

Gohan grinned at all three and said, "We wake him up." he then threw a stone into the cave and shouted, "TIME TO WAKE UP!" There was silence for a moment, before a roar and a purple blur came shooting out of the cave and into Gohan. The three teenagers screamed and watched as the dinosaur devoured Gohan with his tongue and Gohan screamed in agony...or laughed in agony.

"What?" Videl asked, covering the whole situation with one word. The dinosaur was gripping Gohan and licking him, while Gohan laughed and giggled, trying to say something but failing due to his giggling.

"Ic-Ica-Icarus, st-st-stop!" Gohan laughed. The dinosaur put him down before giving him one last lick. Gohan laughed and patted the dinosaur's head before turning to the three, "This is Icarus, he's my friend. I saved him when I was little. He's the friendliest animal alive. Icarus, these are my friends, Videl, Sharpener and Erasa."

The three teens stared in shock.

"He must've smelt me and came looking for me. Sorry guys, I probably should've warned you, I just didn't realise we were near his nest." Gohan shrugged. You guys want to pat him?"

Videl was the only one brave enough to step forward and hesitantly ran a hand down the dinosaur's side. Icarus let out a sound that sounded like laughter and licked Videl, right over her face.

"He likes you." Gohan laughed.

Erasa and Sharpener approached carefully and copied Videl's actions (who was now wiping her face with her towel). They both received a lick as well.

"See, harmless like a bunny." Gohan grinned.

"Right, just like a bunny." Videl muttered.

**XXX**

Later that night, Icarus was curled up asleep in the cave and Sharpener and Erasa were both fast asleep.

"Gohan?" Videl whispered.

"Yes Videl?"

"I'm sorry about last night, digging into your past. I didn't mean to upset you or anything." Videl muttered, not wanting to apologise but knowing it was the right thing to do.

"That's OK Videl, you should probably sleep, we have to go searching for the scavenger hunt items tomorrow which could mean a lot of hard work." Gohan rolled over, away from Videl and towards Icarus and was soon asleep.

Videl sighed and settled down to sleep, her curiosity towards the boy burning as she tried to forget the conclusion she had jumped to and sleep.

**XXX**

**TBC**

**I hope you enjoyed this one too, please review and let me know.**


	9. So You're Half Alien?

**Author's note: I am so sorry about the huge delay, for this story and all my other ones (if you're reading them). I am going to attempt to finish this story over the next couple of days while I am in school holidays so this huge delay doesn't happen again.**

**Please read and review.**

* * *

**Chapter 9 - So You're Half Alien?**

By the end of the sixth day, the group had found all the scavenger items, had eaten well every day and were bonding, for lack of a better term. Gohan had relaxed again, after Videl's questioning, and the four were growing closer. It was in the afternoon of the sixth day, and the four were relaxing in the river, swimming around and joking with each other. It was their final day; tomorrow they would have to leave early morning to get to the meeting point by the afternoon.

Gohan was the only one not in the water, he was absentmindedly doing handstands on the river bank, going upside down and holding it.

"Wow Gohan, that must be really difficult!" Erasa swooned.

"Huh?" Gohan asked, not hearing what she said. He didn't drop out of the handstand, just lifted his head to stare at her questioningly.

"You must be really strong and flexible to be able to hold a handstand like that." Erasa giggled.

"Not really, just a good sense of balance and strong core muscles." Gohan shrugged, while upside down, so it ended up being a push-up or sorts.

"Why are you doing it?" Videl asked.

"I'm just thinking," Gohan murmured.

"About?" Sharpener joined in, getting out of the water to sit on the grass next to the other boy. His tail flickered towards Sharpener for a moment before returning to wrapping itself around Gohan's waist.

Gohan was silent for a moment as he righted himself and sat down, before saying, "About something Videl asked me, the other night."

Videl, who had been about to dive under water, shot upwards to stare at the boy in shock. "Gohan, I was out of line that night, and I am sorry for prying," Videl started to say.

"But it was true. And I was just upset you figured it out, and upset over talking about my dad." Gohan told her.

Videl couldn't stop the grin from growing on her face and she punched the air triumphantly, "I knew it! You were there!"

Gohan smiled softly at her, but it soon dropped off his face. "Would you like to hear the full story?" he asked her.

"Yes."

"Are you sure? You won't like what it reveals. Especially about your father," Gohan warned her.

She frowned with confusion for a moment, "What does my father have to do with any of this?" She climbed out of the river and wrapped herself in her towel, sitting down next to the two teenage boys. Erasa joined the group wordlessly, suspecting something revolutionary was about to be revealed.

Gohan sighed and said, "It is completely up to each of you individually whether you believe me or not, but I just want you all to know, I am going to tell you nothing but the truth. If there is something I don't share with you, it is because it isn't just my secret to share. Also, whether you believe me or not, please don't tell anyone else."

"Of course not." Erasa spoke at once.

"I won't repeat a word." Sharpener shrugged.

"I won't repeat it." Videl spoke in a low, serious voice, somehow guessing she wasn't going to like where this was going.

"Well, Videl asked me the other night if my family and I were at the Cell Games. And we were." Gohan started.

"You're one of the Golden Warriors?" Sharpener asked.

"How do you make your hair golden?" Erasa asked.

"You're also the Golden Fighter, aren't you?" Videl asked.

"Yes, I'm the Golden Fighter." Gohan answered Videl.

"How, how can you do all those things? How can you do all those tricks?" Videl demanded.

"They aren't tricks. They're real, and can be powerful attacks." Gohan corrected. "And I'll get to that, I need to tell you the whole story."

"So, you fought at the Cell Games?" Videl repeated, a prompt, for the boy to continue.

"Yes, but that's not the start. For you to understand everything about me, I need to tell you about a boy named Goku and the Red Ribbon Army." Gohan started.

And so he did. He told them about his father meeting Bulma, going after the Dragonballs, the fights with the Red Ribbon Army, Emperor Pilaf and King Piccolo, and the World Martial Arts Tournaments. He told them about his uncle Raditz arriving from space, and how his dad was an alien. He told them how he died, and when Vegeta arrived to destroy the planet, they brought him back and the huge battle they fought. He told them about his trip to Namek to destroy Frieza. He told them how his dad turned into a Super Saiyan, and killed Freiza, and only just escaping the exploding planet. He told them about the Red Ribbon Army creator, Dr Gero wanted revenge on his father and created android after android, trying to perfect them to kill Goku. He told them how Trunks from the future came back to warn them of Goku's heart condition, and to give them the medicine. He told them how Cell had come back with Trunks, and upon absorbing the other androids, transformed into his 'Perfect' state. He told them how he had given them a week to train, and that he had gone into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber to train with his dad and reached Super Saiyan as well. He told them how his father had fought against Cell with all he had and it wasn't enough. He told them how his father had told him to try and fight Cell. He told them how he had been trying and failing, until Cell had hurt his family, slowly killing them off one by one and how he had just lost it. He told them how he had gotten cocky and played with Cell, and in return, Cell had been able to kill his father. He told them how he had finally killed Cell, but after Goku had died and was gone. He told them how he hadn't wanted recognition and fame and neither did the rest of his family so they quietly disappeared, leaving Hercules to take the credit. At the end of his story, the sun had begun to set and all of them were getting rather cold, but they were all just sitting in shock.

"You're suggesting that Hercules is a fraud!" Sharpener finally spoke, hurt that his friend would suggest the Champ of lying.

Before Gohan could defend himself, Videl spoke up, "Don't be so stupid Sharpener, of course my dad is lying. I always knew it, I just never had proof. I always thought that yeah, he might've been strong, but _the _strongest? No way. Impossible. So you killed Cell? That's brilliant." She grinned at Gohan, who hesitantly smiled back.

"You believe me?" He asked somewhat cautiously.

"Of course." Videl rolled her eyes. "Come on, we'll head back to the cave, get dinner and get dressed then you can teach me how to fly."

Gohan laughed nervously, "Ha-ha, I don't know, Videl, it takes a lot and –"

"Are you saying I don't have what it takes?"

"No, no, of course not, just that, well, I'll teach you, but maybe after camp? It takes a lot of energy and we have to walk tomorrow all day."

"Only if you promise to teach me?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course."

"OK then, let's head back to camp." Videl got up and walked away.

Gohan turned to Sharpener and Erasa who hadn't spoken. "Guys?"

"So you're half-alien?" Erasa asked.

"Yeah, kind of." Gohan chuckled nervously.

"That's pretty cool, come one cutie-pie, let's go get dinner before Videl burns it all." Erasa linked her arm through Gohan's and lead him away. Sharpener followed, deep in thought.

* * *

After Erasa and Gohan had cooked dinner, and they had all eaten, Sharpener turned to Gohan, "I believe you when you say you killed Cell and that you're an alien and all that, but I don't understand why you don't want people to know."

"My mum and I didn't want to the popularity, the attention, the public image. And I am sorry to you Videl, for having put that on you, but we wanted a normal life, as normal as we could get, which wasn't that normal, but still, if we had told people that, my little brother would've grown up constantly in the spotlight and would never have known the forest, the quiet, what I see is normal, because we'd constantly be hounded. Why do you think we live out in the mountains? And besides, at the time, I didn't really want all the attention considering I had just caused my father to have to sacrifice himself to save us all." Gohan shrugged. "That and the fact that the human race needs a public hero, someone they can relate to and rely on. Hercules is that person, he may be a liar, and may be, well, sorry Videl, there is no nice way to say this, a fraud, but he is real and human and there for them. I'd be a horrible public hero." Gohan grinned nervously at them.

"But you're the Golden Fighter, that's a public hero figure." Videl pointed out.

"But I wear a mask. A disguise. It isn't a reflection of me, I'm not a role model for others, I'm like the police force, I keep the place safer, catch criminals, all that, and work with you Videl. You're the public hero, and you do an awesome job at it." Gohan explained.

"If you say so nerd-boy." Sharpener announced, "Now, as it is the last night of camp, out here by ourselves, I think we should just set a few ground rules. Gohan, none of us are ever going to share your secrets, but you have to promise you'll realise we're your friends now, if something is wrong, you can come to us to talk. Any of us."

"Deal." Gohan grinned, shaking hands with the blonde over the dying fire.

* * *

The next morning had a depressing feeling to it, packing up their camp and belongings, putting it all away and setting off towards the meeting point, Gohan leading them not along the trail paths they sometimes came across, but straight through the forest, not at all afraid of animals, or getting lost or anything. The boy had his tail wrapped around his waist again, in case they crossed paths with anyone else, and the four didn't mention the secrets they now shared.

An hour after lunch, Gohan grinned at everyone else over his shoulder and announced, "We're here."

They walked through the trees to the clearing, where the two teachers were sitting in the middle, playing cards.

The teachers jumped up and went on and on about the group being the first back and well down and how did you go and did you get everything, did anything go wrong, were you hurt. Questions poured from their mouths and the four regretfully subjected themselves to the twenty questions.

* * *

By the afternoon, all the groups had returned, some looking a little worse for wear. Only Gohan's group had all the scavenger items, and only Gohan's group looked cheerful. It was clear who had the most fun.

It was too late to head back to the original campsite that day, so they all pulled their tents out, to set up and sleep.

It was late at night, and Gohan was lying on his stomach, on top of his sleeping bag, head resting on his arms with his tail swinging back and forth.

"Gohan, you still coming back to Videl's after the camp to type up the report and stuff?" Sharpener asked from his sleeping bag.

"IF she'll still have me, yeah." Gohan whispered back.

"Course she will."

"Goodnight."

"Night nerd-boy."

* * *

**To be continued.**

**There we go, only one or two chapters to go, and then the end. I am so sorry about the huge gap between chapters.**

**Please review! Let me know your thoughts on the story up until this point. ****J**


	10. Coming home, at last

**Here is the next chapter, within an hour or two of the last one, I'm proud of myself!**** This is only a short chapter, but the next one will be up soon, and that is the last one. I hope you have all enjoyed the story so far, and I hope you enjoy this story as well.**

**Please read and review.**

* * *

**Chapter 10 – Coming home, at last**

The next day they hiked back to the campsite, then continued walking to the bus. By the time they reached the bus, all the girls were complaining of being sweaty and tired, the boys were attempting to be cool and not care, but they were wincing with every step and were exhausted as well.

They voted as a class and decided to sleep in the tents one more night, in a clearing five minutes from the bus, and drive out in the morning, considering it takes a few hours to get home and it was getting late.

They all made their own dinner, using the food from the spare supplies (the teachers had given them permission) and while they were eating, the teachers announced the group who won the scavenger hunt.

"Gohan's group! They got back first, didn't use any spare supplies, found all their items and seem the most alive!" Ms Channing announced much to cheerfully for a teacher.

The four got a huge bar of chocolate each and everyone else grumbled and complained, announcing it unfair that both Videl and Sharpener were in the same group because they were pro and awesome.

The four teenagers ignored them and immediately ate some chocolate.

* * *

Upon arrival back at school the next day, everyone had parents waiting that were embarrassing, crying out, 'my baby!', 'my darling!' and so on, hugging the bright red teenagers. Sharpener and Erasa's parents weren't there, for their respective reasons (Sharpener's not caring and Erasa's because she was staying at Videl's), but neither was Videl's dad.

Gohan's mum and little brother were there, however. "BIG BROTHER!" Goten screamed, the moment Gohan got off the bus and he threw himself at Gohan, going off and talking about everything he missed, "I miss you so much, Gohan, you missed out on Trunks sleeping over and we found a lizard and named it Gregory but then mum made us take him back outside and the next day he was gone, but that's OK, because I know he just wanted to find a new place and family to live with. And then I slept at Trunks' place and Mr Vegeta yelled at us for running around and made us train with him until I couldn't move anymore and neither could Trunks and then Mr Vegeta got yelled at by Bulma who then took us out for ice-cream in the park and I saw a butterfly and tried to catch it but Trunks scared it away and –"

"Woah, there squirt, calm down, yeah? Did you look after your mum?" Gohan laughed, having caught the mini version of himself easily and now stood with the child in his arms comfortable.

"Yep, I helped her clean the house and she even taught me how to bake a chocolate cake!" Goten grinned at his big brother excitedly.

"Hey mum," Gohan greeted the woman, kissing her on the cheek.

"Gohan, how was camp?" Chichi asked, but didn't wait for an answer, having noticed the other three watching the family reunite. "Are these your friends? Well introduce me, Gohan."

"Yeah, me too!" Goten grinned.

"Right, guys," Gohan waved them over. They approached. "Guys, this is my little brother, Goten, and my mum, Chichi. Mum, Goten, these are my friends, Erasa, Sharpener and Videl."

"Pleasure to meet you." Erasa grinned, kissing the other woman's cheek in greeting.

"You're Chichi! The Ox-King's daughter. I've watched you fight in the 23rd WMAT a dozen times." Videl grinned, recognising the woman straight away, despite already knowing this due to Gohan. "You're an amazing fighter."

"Thank you." Chichi started to say.

"Mum, what are you doing here?" Gohan interrupted. "I was going to Videl's with everyone else for the night."

"I know, I was picking Goten up from Bulma's, and stopped by." Chichi explained. "I have to ask, where are your parents? I would like to meet them, just out of curiosity." Chichi winked at Videl who grinned back.

Her grin slipped, and looked around a little, "My father's not here at the moment, I suppose he hasn't realised the day, it happens, he gets caught up with all the speeches and meetings he has to go to." Videl shrugged, playing it off as something insignificant, but even Gohan could tell she was upset her father forgot her when he had said he'd pick her up.

"Well, we can't have that, how about the four of you come back to our home for the night? It is a long trip, and you may be sick of the outdoors, but we're having a get-together, and friends of Gohan's are welcome to join us." Chichi offered.

"When you say get-together, who is coming?" Gohan asked, a little panicked.

"The usual Gohan, who do you expect?"

"Great, mum, they aren't going to want to sit through one of our gatherings, I don't always want to." Gohan groaned, not wanting his friends to meet his family friends, specifically Krillen and Yamcha, who would tease him mercilessly for being friends with Videl and Erasa.

"Nonsense, what do you three say?" Chichi asked them.

"If you don't mind, we don't want to impose, but I am curious about where you live Gohan, and your family, especially after what you told us of them the other night." Videl spoke slyly.

Chichi gave Gohan a look, "Just what did he tell you?"

"Everything." Gohan mumbled.

"And did they run away screaming?" Chichi asked him.

"No." Gohan muttered again, scraping a foot along the dirt.

"I told you so." Chichi informed her son, before turning to his friends, "I insist on you all staying tonight, if your father is busy, then it would probably be better if there weren't four teenagers in his hair, making his work even harder, I would be happy to have you all over, if you're allowed of course." Chichi told the three human teenagers as the half-alien teenager turned red with embarrassment.

"Let us just call our parents, but we would be happy to stay with you." Videl told the woman, sharing a grin together.

* * *

Within an hour, Gohan was at his house, showing Videl, Erasa and Sharpener around.

"I'm sure Videl's place is bigger, and it isn't much, but it's home, so yeah." Gohan shrugged, laughing nervously as the three teens looked around at the baby pictures of him, and of Goku and of Goten.

"So what's this get-together tonight?" Erasa asked.

"Bulma, Vegeta, Trunks, Krillen, 18, Roshi, Yamcha, Puar, Tien, Chiaotzu, Piccolo and Oolong are probably going to turn up for a dinner that will eventually turn into a fight. Be prepared, Videl, not all of them like Hercules, well, none of them do, but some will be more vocal about it and please, please don't challenge them to a fight, they'll win." Gohan pleaded.

Videl rolled her eyes but promised not to challenge them to a fight, "Now, how about we get those reports over and done with?"

* * *

**To be continued.**

**Like I said before, it is shorter than normal, but the next one will be up soon, and it is the end then. Please review!**


	11. Family gatherings, don't you love them?

**OK, so this is the final chapter! I am feeling rather sad about that, but at the same time I am happy I got this story finished!**

**I hope you have all enjoyed the story, and please, read and review, let me know your thoughts.**

* * *

**Chapter 11 – Family gatherings, don't you love them?  
**

Everyone turned up. Everyone met Gohan's friends. Everyone teased and picked on the blushing Saiyan boy about girlfriends and being so cute.

Erasa immediately squealed and threw herself at Bulma's feet, kissing the ground she walked on…not really. She did squeal and throw herself at Bulma, but only asking if she could hug her and getting permission first. For the rest of the night, Erasa listened raptly to the blue-haired genius and discussed fashion styles and having some deep conversations about the way a girl dresses affects the world's opinion of her.

Sharpener had nearly gone catatonic over Yamcha's arrival, apparently a huge baseball fan. Yamcha, enjoying the attention, soaked it up, conversing with the blonde boy about baseball tips and strategies, before moving on to boxing and fighting styles.

Videl had stayed near Gohan for majority of the night, each time she introduced herself as Videl Satan, the other person would either hide a smile or laugh or just outright react, like Vegeta did. She was getting sick of it, but knew it wasn't directed at her, but at her father who was a bit of an idiot.

Gohan had been roped into helping Chichi bring the food out, and that was when Videl made her move. She approached Krillen, because she had seen him fight in tapes and things and new he was good and asked him, "Gohan mentioned that you can fight, and I've seen the tapes of you fighting when you were the Turtle Master's student, could you help me? Give me a few pointers and things? I know I'm nowhere near anyone's league here, you are all way more powerful than me, and while I may be a Satan, and my dad may be a weakling compared to you, that doesn't mean I am."

Krillen looked her up and down and smiled, "I never said you were a weakling. After dinner, I'll give you a few lessons, and who knows, the whole gang might pitch forward a few ideas."

"Thank you."

* * *

After dinner came and went, but Krillen didn't get up. When Videl looked at him questioningly, he explained in a quiet, hushed voice, "These get-togethers always end up fighting and mucking around, but not until Chichi says so. She gets annoyed when we fight around the boys, so normally we have to wait until they go to bed, but she seems to be letting them stay up tonight."

Videl gave Chichi a glance, as the woman was washing up and moved to help her.

"Would you like some help with the dishes?" Videl asked.

"That'd be lovely dear." Chichi smiled gratefully. "When I finish these, you can all start fighting." She spoke, raising her voice so it carried.

Everyone grinned and several people stepped forward to help the woman.

"Cheap slave labour." Chichi whispered to Videl, who laughed.

* * *

When the dishes were finished, and the fighting was about to begin, Sharpener and Erasa sat down near Chichi and Bulma who were laughing and talking about old memories.

A ring was drawn out in the sand, in a clearing away from the house, about a kilometre out, and Krillen stepped into it. "Hey guys, I know a lot of you are ready for fighting and stuff, but Videl's asked me to fight with her and give her some pointers, so we're first."

"Videl?" Gohan asked, looking worried all of a sudden.

Videl ignored him. "Ready?" Krillen asked her.

She shook out her arms and dropped into her pose, "Ready."

"We'll just fight, like in a tournament, same rules and all, when we finish, I'll let you know what to fix." Krillen told her. "Fight."

As soon as the word left his mouth, the short man jumped forward, swinging a punch. Videl dodged it, surprising the viewers. While Krillen wasn't moving at his full speed or anything, the punch hadn't been slow by any standards. Videl punched out but Krillen ducked. This went on for a bit, Krillen half-trying, while Videl giving it her all; punches, kicks flying back and forth. Krillen managed to land a solid blow to her stomach, and she flew backwards, out of the ring.

She was up and moving back into the ring to go again, but Krillen shook his head. "Give someone else a try, we'll go over here and I'll tell you what to fix up." Krillen told her. He led her to the trees, out of the way, as Tien and Piccolo started to warm up to fight against each other.

"You're rather fast considering your training." Krillen started.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Videl snapped.

"Well, I meant the lack of training in Ki, it's the body's energy, we use it to fly and throw energy balls and attacks. Gohan did mention he told you everything." Krillen said, suddenly looking worried.

"He never explained it in detail." Videl explained.

"Oh, well, OK, but yeah, you're fast, you just need to focus on actually attempting to hit the person to kill. Every time you swung a punch, you didn't put all your energy behind it, you held back like you were afraid to hurt me. Now, in some situations with crooks, I can understand, Gohan mentioned you fight criminals and all, and a lot of them you would have to hold back, but you had to have known I would be able to take any hit you managed to land, trust me, I've had far worse than anything you could ever imagine and I'm still here, admittedly, I've been brought back to life by the dragon balls once. And ask Gohan to train you in Ki, cause it wouldn't be too hard for you to learn, considering you already know how to fight and discipline your mind, you know how to meditate?"

"Yes."

"Good, meditate every night, for an hour, even after Gohan starts training you."

"Who says Gohan will train me? Who says I want him to train me?"

"Please," Krillen rolled his eyes, "Out of all of us, he's the strongest, so it makes sense for you to want the best to teach you, and besides, he's the only one who would actually teach you, or that you would want to teach you. Roshi would perv on you, I can't teach very well, Yamcha and Tien are strong, but compared to Gohan and Vegeta and Piccolo, they, like me, aren't that strong, Vegeta will refuse to teach anyone who isn't his offspring, and besides, you don't want him to teach you and Piccolo, well, his method of teaching is to dump you out in the wilderness by yourself for a year as a child, so, I doubt you want him to teach you. That leaves Gohan." Krillen grinned.

Videl nodded, "Thank you. I'll be sure to ask him."

"Good, now, you'll want to watch this, well, as much as you can follow, Vegeta is about to ask Gohan to fight him."

* * *

Ten minutes later, Videl understood what Krillen meant when he said Gohan was strong, and that she would want to watch their fight. Watch was a vague term. She followed where energy beams appeared and relied on Krillen's commentary to follow what was going on, the pair was moving that fast.

They paused in mid-air, both in clothes that were torn up, but neither injured at all. Gohan was laughing at something Vegeta had said and Vegeta was smirking in a way that Videl had come to associate as him enjoying himself. They taunted each other for a bit, too far away for Videl to understand what was said, but she did understand Gohan had taunted Vegeta too far, as Vegeta had lifted his hands above his head and a huge energy ball was growing on top of it. He screamed a word, most likely the attack's name, and shot the beam at Gohan, who threw his hands up and blocked the attack, Videl could see from the ground the strain Gohan was under, and was surprised and confused to suddenly see Gohan in front of her, grabbing her and then all she could feel was wind then heat and then she heard an explosion.

She looked around, and saw Krillen holding Goten, Yamcha holding Erasa under one arm and Chichi under the other, Tien had Sharpener hanging from his grip, Piccolo had Roshi and Oolong and Trunks was floating with his mother hanging from his grip. Everyone else was up in the air, floating as the attack had hit where they were standing and had blown up.

Vegeta drifted downwards and wrapped an arm around Bulma's waist, taking her off his son. "Good job, boy." He gruffly said. Trunks beamed with the praise and held on to his father's arm, clearly tired from holding his mother up and moving so fast. Vegeta wrapped an arm around him, holding him up, just as the boy gave up trying to stay afloat.

"Vegeta, that was a little excessive, wasn't it?" Gohan commented dryly.

"It's your fault brat." Vegeta growled, but the smirk showed he had enjoyed himself.

"Ah, sorry, but what happened?" Videl asked as she was confused as to how all of them were suddenly in the air.

"I wasn't going to be able to deflect the attack, so I gave up trying and everyone got out of the way."

Chichi spoke up, "You're going to be fixing this mess. Both of you." She pointed at Vegeta and Gohan. Bulma gave Vegeta a look that said 'do what she says or else' while Gohan groaned and hung up in the air as everyone else floated down.

"Hey Gohan," Videl spoke.

"Yeah?" Gohan asked, beginning to drift down.

"Teach me how to fly and how to fight like you?" Videl asked him.

He looked at her as they drifted down, at first she thought he was going to say no, but he grinned and said, "Sure, course I will." He gently put her down and dropped his arm from her waist. She blinked at the sudden loss, and the sudden change from weightless and flying to standing and heavy and grinned at the boy.

"Thank you." She whispered, leaning up on her toes, gripping his arm for balance, to press a kiss to his cheek.

She pulled away and grinned at the blushing boy, who grinned back. "You're welcome, Videl."

* * *

**The End.**

**Slightly cheesy ending, but I couldn't resist. That's it. The end. I hope you all enjoyed it, and I will think about writing a sequel, maybe where Gohan teaches Videl and they enter a tournament or something, but it won't be for a while, as I am in high school and we are approaching exams and assessment time, and things are going to get hectic.**

**Please review; let me know what you think of the ending.**

**Thank you to all who reviewed this story, I really enjoy hearing back from my readers.**


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